Contents: Foreword. 1. Changing scenario of aged in India/Pankajam Sundaram. 2. The ecology of social aging in India/John Van Willigen. 3. Psycho-social characteristics, problems and strategies for the welfare of aged in rural India/M.A. Sudhir. 4. The roots of ageism and combacting ageing/B. Arunachalam. 5. Socio-cultural perspectives on ageism/P. Anandharaja Kumar. 6. Approach to the aged: a critique/C.N. Natarajan. 7. Health and nutritional problems of the aged/K.P. Vasantha Devi and S. Premakumari. 8. Rural aged-some psycho-social consideration/B.R. Dwaraki. 9. Plight of the elderly in transitional society: a socio-psychlogical perspective/S. Gurusamy. 10. Assessing the problems and needs of the aged : PRA approach/N. Narayanasamy and R. Ramesh. 11. Problems of the aged in rural India/Susila Kirubavathy. 12. Problems and remedies of the aged/N. Durairaj and Kalarani Rengasamy. 13. Problems and strategies for the welfare of the aged in rural India/Rajalakshmi Ramnath. 14. Problems of the elderly a socio-cultural degeneration/V.K. Muthu and N. Arumugam. 15. Changing family values and increased problems of the aged/S. Janakiraman. 16. Ageing in modern India: economic and social issues/Shantha Kanbargi. 17. Status and problems of elderly women at Kollam, Kerala/N. Kamalamma and S. Selsa. 18. Government policy for the welfare of the aged in India/N. Saraswathy. 19. Welfare measures for the aged in rural India/N. Meenakshi Sundaram. 20. Ageing and social security/S. Irudayarajan Rajan. 21. The rural aged: plight and policy perspectives/N. Lalitha. 22. Tribal aged in rural Kerala/R. Sujatha Rani. 23. Mushrooms for the health and nutrition of the aged/Kumutha Kalavalli and R. Lowrence Xavier. 24. Third age attitudes: a study of institutionalised aged/M.R. Premalatha. 25. Socio-psychological problems of the aged: a study of old age homes/A. Prakash Rao. 26. Communicative peculiarities of rural senescent discourse/M.A. Jayaraju and D. Miruthula. 27. Form and function in rural senescent communication/M.A. Jeyaraju and K.M. Sumathi. 28. Socio-economic problems of the rural aged: a study/A. Balakrishnan and K. Yoganatham. 29. The problems of the aged in the India: an analysis/K. Karunakaran. 30. List of contributors. Index.
"This book is a compilation of the papers presented and deliberated upon in the National Seminar on "Psycho-Social Characteristics, Problems and Strategies for the Welfare of the Aged in Rural India" organized by the Department of Applied Research, Gandhigram Rural Institute, and sponsored by the Ministry of Welfare, Government of India. While several papers throw light on the problems and issues of old age, the focus is on formulating strategies for the welfare of aged in rural India. The book is expected to be of great use not only to academicians and researchers but also to activists, administrators and policy makers in their endeavour to evolve action plans for the fast graying segment of the population in India." (jacket)