Daily Answer Writing: Sociology (Day 34)

Questions

1. What is Geriatrics? What are the problems associated with Geriatric population? (10 Marks)
2. How do sociocultural norms and gender roles perpetuate and normalize violence against women, and what strategies can be employed to challenge these norms? (20 Marks)

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Q1. What is Geriatrics? What are the problems associated with the Geriatric population? (10 Marks)

Introduction

• Geriatrics is a medical term and it is related to the healthcare for elderly people above the age of 60. The advances in the medical facilities have increased the life expectancy of people and there has been a phenomenal growth of elderly population in the world.
• By 2050 it is expected that the elderly population would be around 22%. The world needs to gear up to understand the issue of geriatrics and how to meaningfully engage them.

Main Body

The problem associated with the Geriatrics population:

• Personal issues of the Geriatrics population
  • Economic hardship and dependency.
  • Mental changes, including impairment of memory
  • Chronic health issues like BP, Cardiovascular diseases, diabetes etc.
  • Need for constant care
  • Neglect in society and family.
  • Violence
• Issue for a country
  • Increased healthcare costs for the country.
  • More dependent population leading to stagnation of economy as witnessed in developed countries.
  • Increasing pension costs for the governments.

Way Forward

1. Creating a social structure to engage the elderly population in meaningful ways such as in teaching, consultancy etc where they can use their experience and also contribute to society.
2. Age for retirement can also be increased so as to decrease the cost for an economy.
3. A robust healthcare network to provide quality healthcare.
4. Increased insurance cover to mitigate any economic hardship.

Q2. How do sociocultural norms and gender roles perpetuate and normalize violence against women, and what strategies can be employed to challenge these norms? (20 Marks)

Introduction

• Violence against women is a manifestation of historically unequal power relations between men and women both arising from and reinforcing gender inequality and discrimination. Violence against women is more easily accepted in societies where men and women are not equal.

Main Body

• The following are some reasons which led to the increase in violence against women:
  • Low status of women: Perhaps the biggest issue, though, is women's overall lower status in Indian society. For poor families, the need to pay a marriage dowry can make daughters a burden. India has one of the lowest female-to-male population ratios in the world because of sex-selective abortion and female infanticide.
  • Stigmatizing the victim: When verbal harassment or groping do occur in public areas, bystanders frequently look the other way rather than intervene, both to avoid a conflict and because they – on some level – blame the victim, observers say. Male politicians contribute to the problem, making statements that make light of rape or vilify rape victims' supporters.
  • A lack of public safety: Women generally aren't protected outside their homes.

Strategies

• Blaming provocative clothing: There's a tendency to assume the victims of sexual violence somehow brought it on themselves.
• A sluggish court system: India's court system is painfully slow, in part because of a shortage of judges. The country has about 15 judges for every 1 million people, while China has 159.
• Few convictions: For rapes that do get reported, India’s conviction rate is no more than 26 percent.
• Few female ministers and police: India has historically had a much lower percentage of female police officers than other Asian countries. The representation of women in Parliament is also low despite the trend of women empowerment.
• Gender sensitization: Awareness and education can be done by parents at home, teachers in school and colleges,employers at work place and non governmental organisations (NGOs) in the community.
• Treatment of mental illness: Good mental health care facilities are needed for early identification, treatment and rehabilitation of those with severe mental illness.
  • Restriction on the use of addictive substances
• Media: Media campaigns can help to reverse social attitudes that tolerate VAW. Collaboration with the media needs to focus on creating new messages and new responses to prevent domestic violence.
• Law enforcement machinery: 24 × 7 helplines for women like Maitri (a New Delhi-based NGO), and Vandrewala in Mumbai are needed.
  • Fast track courts are strongly recommended. Special cells in police stations with the help of women police officers should be empowered with manpower, latest gadgets like CCTV footage and phone help lines, etc.
• Amendments legislations: Hindu Marriage Act, 1955: Mental illness should be removed from conditions of Hindu Marriage.

Code of conduct

• Improving the socio economic status of women: Empowerment of women through improving their education, job opportunities, representation in different sectors, and awareness about their rights and legal provisions would be a step in the right direction.
• Break the silence:Never condone VAW. Always raise your voice and report it.

Conclusion

• In contemporary times due to increase in public awareness in general and among women in particular, reporting of such crimes have also increased. However, still many go unreported which clearly reflects the deep rooted gender discrimination in Indian society.

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