I previously talked about the American family structure. For this post, I wanted readers to picture the lives of the elderly in Pakistan, my
home country. Researching on this topic expanded my knowledge, as I became aware of viewpoints that were not obvious to me before.
In the 1990s, Pakistan reported the highest percentage of
households at 72.4 % with 5 or more members. (Demographic and Social Trends Affecting Families in the South and Central Asian Region) An obvious reason that comes to mind is the widespread prevalence of the joint family system in the country. The joint family system serves as the basic
family unit in Pakistani society. In a joint family, the parents, grandparents and
children live in the same household. Older males are the breadwinners of the house while women play a significant role in taking care of the family. The members try to uphold each other's priorities and hence form a closely knit circle. People in Pakistan dearly
followed the joint family but conversely in recent years, urbanization has
directed to alterations and amendments to this existing system as each
individual strives to keep up with today’s society.
The retirement age in Pakistan is 60 years after which most elders
are unable to find alternative sources of income and thus become largely dependent
on their families for financial support. (Family System in Pakistan 2011) With
a rapid conversion of extended family systems to nuclear families, the elderly
suffer the most in a third world country with bare amenities. This has lead to
increased disease burden. The Population census of Pakistan of 2008 cites a 28%
disability rate of people aged 60 and older, which is significantly greater than
most developing and developed countries. (Sabzwari 2009) What are the elderly
of Pakistan going to do with these currently changing scenarios?
References:
UN Survey, “
Demographic and Social Trends Affecting Families in the South and Central Asian Region ”
Saniya R. Sabzwar, “Ageing in Pakistan—A New Challenge”
