Presence of Elderly in Urban Indian Families: Conflict and Resolution of Family Members

Sunanda Rabindranathan, Centre for Women's Development Studies

With increasing urbanization and the changing family structure, the aging population is facing newer challenges in interpersonal relations. This paper uses the data collected from an urban Indian locality to develop a taxonomy of conflicts occurring in families as a result of intergenerational exchanges between family members when the elderly are coresidents. These family conflicts have been qualitatively analysed and the resolution of some of these conflicts has been examined. I have conducted 'in-depth interviews' with the elderly and other family members to obtain data for this study. The results show that social structural variables like employment, marital status, family member's position in the family are key determinants of conflict in elderly-other family member dyadic relations. Time plays the role of a catalyst in creating conflicting situations and it is also the resolver of conflicts. The parent-adult child interaction patterns result in conflict when filial expectations are not met with.