Doctoral Dissertation Research: Aging, Kinship, and Social Transformation

Yale University, New Haven CT

Investigators

Abstract

Population aging is an issue of rising global importance. Despite this, there are critical gaps in knowledge about what it means to grow old in low-income countries, where developing economies and multiple stressors can complicate formerly accepted models of aging. These lacunae in scholarship are problematic. They can result in overly simplistic understandings of older men and women's lives, the misdirection of scarce resources, and the undermining rather than reinforcing of local capacities. To address these problems, Yale University doctoral student, Aalyia Sadruddin, under the supervision of Dr. Catherine Panter-Brick, will undertake research in a particularly revealing lower-income context: post-conflict Rwanda. In Rwanda, as in other post-conflict situations, the oldest segments of the population must provide care for the youngest, the children that victims of the conflict left behind. In addition, the oldest segments are expected to lead the way in post-conflict reconciliation efforts while also bearing the effects of reduced government economic support. The additional levels of stress caused by this constellation of factors make the Rwandan case particularly revealing of the problems that the aging face, the strengths they bring to bear, and the limitations of their resilience. Lessons learned in Rwanda will be applicable throughout the world, including the United States. The researcher will employ a mixed-methods approach and a comparative rural/urban design. In two carefully chosen sites, one rural and one urban, she will gather data using a variety of social scientific research methods, including: participant observation, semi-structured interviews, genealogical interviews, and textual discourse and media analysis. Findings from this research will broaden insights into the relationship between aging, family relations, and social change. Conclusions will advance social science theory of aging and help resolve debates on appropriate care, the role of kinship, and the capacity for social resilience in the developing world.