🔵 India’s Ignorance Over The Bonded Labour System Exacerbates Caste Differences | Economic and Political Weekly

https://www.epw.in/engage/article/indias-ignorance-over-bonded-labour-system

Forced and bonded labour was abolished through the Bonded Labour Slavery (Absolishing) Act in 1976. Yet, according to the Union Ministry of Labour and Employment, the last four years  have seen an estimated 13,512 bonded labourers released and rehabilitated. September 2019, alone, saw rescue operations freed a total of 43 bonded labourers across Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat. Though bonded labour systems still exist in such large numbers, the state has done little to remedy the situation.

🔵 Preparing for a Demographic Transition in India | Economic and Political Weekly

https://www.epw.in/journal/2023/44/editorials/preparing-demographic-transition-india.html

A dignified life for the elderly population needs an urgent cultural, political and policy reimagination.
The Vienna International Plan of Action on Ageing, 1982 was an outcome of the first global assembly of countries to deliberate on population ageing, supported by the United Nations General Assembly. Based on this plan, the United Nations Principles for Older Persons was drafted in 1991 with the aim of mainstreaming policies to enable independent, participative, dignified and self-fulfilled life for the elderly. The India Ageing Report 2023: Caring for Our Elders: Institutional Responses, published by the International Institute for Population Sciences and United Nations Population Fund, documents the country-specific effort in this direction.
Population ageing implies the rise in the proportion of those classified as old—largely people above 60 or 65 years of age. In 2022, 13.9% of the world population, that is, 1.1 billion people, were in this age group, which is estimated to grow up to 2.1 billion, making it 22% of the world population by 2050. Asia has more than half the proportion of this population (58%) today, with 648 million elderly people, which could rise to 1.3 billion in three decades. Similar trends will be seen in India, which has 149 million elderly, constituting a 10.5% share of its total population in 2022. This number will expand to 347 million, making it 20.8% of the national share by 2050. Though this is lower in percentage count, compared to the estimates for Asia and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation countries, the absolute numbers will be large. For the same period, the pace of ageing is reported as moderate for India, and high to very high for Japan, China, Indonesia, and Vietnam.
In the developed world, the rate of doubling of the old-age dependency ratio, that is, the ratio of the elderly who were economically inactive compared to the working population, stretched over 150 to 200 years. However, for some developing countries, this could happen within a 50-year period. What makes this an issue of serious concern is the absence of a concomitant rise in personal incomes, as experienced by the developed countries, marked by the slow response of the governments to these changes. It is important to note that the history of development or lack thereof plays a significant role in shaping these diverse experiences of ageing, even within the country. India is also witnessing some specific challenges concerning ageing, like feminisation, ruralisation and ageing of the aged.

🔵 India Ageing Report 2023 Unveils Critical Insights into Elderly Care in India

Posted On: 27 SEP 2023 12:47PM by PIB Delhi

UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund) India, in collaboration with the International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), unveiled the highly anticipated "India Ageing Report 2023." This report sheds light on the challenges, opportunities and institutional responses surrounding elderly care in India, as India navigates a demographic shift towards an ageing population.

The report was jointly released by Mr. Saurabh Garg, Secretary, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (Government of India) and Ms. Andrea M. Wojnar, UNFPA India Representative and Country Director Bhutan.

The India Ageing Report 2023 represents a thorough review of the living conditions and welfare of older individuals in India. It leverages the latest data available from the Longitudinal Ageing Survey in India (LASI), 2017–18, Census of India, Population Projections by the Government of India (2011–2036) and World Population Prospects 2022 by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs to provide an up-to-date perspective.

“As India ages, it is imperative to ensure that our elderly population has access to the care and support they need to live healthy, dignified, and fulfilling lives,” said Mr. Saurabh Garg, Secretary, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (Government of India). “The India Ageing Report 2023 provides a valuable roadmap for achieving this goal and I urge all stakeholders to work together to implement its recommendations.”

Ms. Andrea. M. Wojnar, UNFPA India Representative and Country Director Bhutan, commented, “This comprehensive report is a valuable resource for scholars, policymakers, program managers, and all stakeholders involved in elder care. Older persons have contributed significantly to society, and they deserve nothing less than our best efforts to ensure their well- being.”

The report's key findings encompass a range of analyses related to elderly well-being, including:

🌀The enhancement of geriatric care to cater to the unique healthcare needs of seniors.

🌀A multitude of government schemes and policies addressing the health, financial empowerment, and capacity building needs of the elderly population.

🌀Community-based organizations actively engaged in digital empowerment through computer and internet usage sessions.

🌀Ministerial committees dedicated to shaping policies for elderly welfare.

🌀Corporate efforts for joyful aging, social assistance, old age homes, and elder abuse awareness campaigns.

Please visit [website link] to access the full India Ageing Report 2023.

Website - https://india.unfpa.org/en

🔵 Women do more multitasking at home while men do solo chores, study says | The Independent

https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/diy-sociology-aston-university-men-rick-stein-b2322695.html

Sociology and policy lecturer Dr Emily Christopher, who interviewed 25 couples for the study, found that ‘woman-type’ chores often involve multitasking and doing things such as remembering birthdays and if children need their PE kits, while men’s roles tend to involve solo duties centred around machinery and perceived physical strength.
But she stressed that past research has found women still perform the ‘lion’s share’ of household work, although some tasks have ‘shifted’ over the years.

CJI inaugurates 'Mitti Cafe' run by differently-abled people in Supreme Court

🪔 Happy Diwali 🪔

🔵 Women’s Right to Bodily Integrity: Critical Reflections on Judicial Interventions | Economic and Political Weekly

https://www.epw.in/engage/article/womens-right-bodily-integrity-critical-reflections

Sundar Pichai shares top 5 questions searched on Google on Diwali

🔵 Female Instagram elderly influencers countering the ageing narratives | Humanities and Social Sciences Communications

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41599-023-02323-4

Influencers are usually associated with young people creating waves on social media. However, there are “Influencer” at age 60 and beyond. This study unveils ‘Female Instagram Elderly Influencers’ who inspire every generation through appeal and presence on the platform. This study explores how older women influencers on Instagram promote themselves online and how they challenge the stereotypes about ageing. In an era defined by the growing influence of digital media, this study reveals the unique perspectives these women use to challenge the social assumptions about ageing. In particular, this study proposed new ways of ageing, defying gender and setting newer perspectives on old age and ageing. By using a netnography technique, an extensive investigation of the online identities and discussions of eight senior female Instagram influencers was conducted. Netnography has allowed to delve deeper into their public profiles, observing their virtual communities and providing insights into their online identity. The results draw attention to a few key characteristics that characterise the online personas of these “older female influencers” on Instagram. These influencers challenge preconceived notions about ageing through their profiles by projecting an image of themselves as vibrant, engaged and active. They portray a colourful, opportunity-filled life full of self-expression through their carefully chosen texts and videos, which showcase their love for everything around them, like food, travel, fashion, quick tips, etc. Furthermore, the findings suggest that these influencers provide their followers with a sense of empowerment. By sharing their personal day-to-day experiences, wisdom and advice, they interact with a broad audience and uplift and reassure those going through difficult times. People of all ages engage with their content, showing how this sense of community is ‘ageless’. The critical role older female Instagram influencers play in eradicating age-related stereotypes and creating a welcoming community is revealed through this netnography investigation. Their experiences and online persona offer a nuanced viewpoint on ageing, encouraging individuals to take advantage of life’s opportunities at any age.

Talcott Parsons' theory of the social system and his AGIL paradigm offer a comprehensive framework that can indeed incorporate various sociological concepts. Let's explore how the concepts from other thinkers fit into Parsons' AGIL framework:

Adaptation Function (A): This function, performed by the economic institutions of a society. Marx's concepts of historical materialism (HM) and modes of production (MOP) can be seen as part of the adaptive function of a society, wherein the economic base adapts to material conditions and technological advancements. Economic Infrastructure (EI) and Superstructure (SS) interaction also reflects this adaptation, aligning with the cybernetic hierarchy of control where the economy adjusts to societal needs and environmental constraints.

Goal Attainment Function (G): Political institutions, according to Parsons, are responsible for setting and achieving society's goals. Weber's analysis of authority and bureaucracy fits into the goal attainment function, where political structures establish societal objectives and mobilize resources to achieve them. Weber's insights into the rational-legal authority of bureaucratic systems illustrate how political institutions systematically work toward set goals.


Integration Function (I): The role of different social institutions is to maintain integration within society. Marx's concept of class struggle highlights the tensions within the integration function as societies seek to manage the competing interests and conflicts between classes. Durkheim's concepts illustrate how social solidarity and division of labor contribute to social integration. His work on suicide further elucidates the consequences when integration fails, leading to anomie or normlessness.


Latency Function (L): The latency function is about pattern maintenance and tension management, performed by socialization systems. Merton's work shows how deviance can be a byproduct of the tension between cultural goals and the means available to achieve them.

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Marx's Concept of Alienation: Alienation, according to Marx, can be related to both the Adaptation (A) and Integration (I) functions. Alienation emerges when the economic system (A) is incongruent with human needs and potential, causing a rift in the social integration (I) as workers feel disconnected from their labor and community.

Weber's PESC and Integration of (A) and (L): Max Weber's analysis of Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism (PESC) intersects with Adaptation (A) as it shows how religious values influenced capitalist economic behavior. It also resonates with the Latency (L) function because it involves the internalization of values and norms that motivate economic conduct.

Mead's Self and Identity Concept: George Herbert Mead's ideas about the self and identity fit within the Integration (I) and Latency (L) functions. The development of self is a process that occurs within a social context (I), as individuals internalize societal roles and expectations. The Latency function is at play as it relates to the stabilization of the self-concept over time through socialization.

Merton's Latent and Manifest Functions/Deviance: Robert K. Merton's distinction between latent and manifest functions and his theory of deviance can be seen throughout all AGIL functions. Manifest functions align with the explicit objectives of social institutions (G), while latent functions relate to the unintended consequences that can emerge in any of the AGIL domains. Deviance, often a response to imbalances or dysfunctions within these areas, can challenge and prompt adjustments across the system.

Make adultery a crime again

India Inc boardrooms have a mixed report card on diversity
Read more at: https://dbrief.news/d/WoGpd

🔵 Social mobility must be at ‘the heart’ of levelling up, Government tsar says | The Independent

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/katharine-birbalsingh-social-mobility-commission-maths-english-sociology-b2107601.html

🔵 China’s Male Leaders Push to Get Women to Stay Home for Family - The New York Times

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/02/world/asia/china-communist-party-xi-women.html

🔵 Everyone's Sleepless, Exhausted. Why Did Rest Become So Scarce? | The Swaddle

https://www.theswaddle.com/everyone-s-sleepless-exhausted-why-did-rest-become-so-scarce

The right to rest is a fundamental human right; it has been recognized as such by India’s Supreme Court as well. But in a society riddled with inequities, the right to rest becomes a privilege and sleep deprivation is an outrage only in the population with the social and economic capital to call it out. For others, it is the accepted status quo. “The sacrifice of sleep in today’s productivity-driven society also speaks to the invisibility of the sacrifice of specific bodies in society, linked to histories of emotional labour and value extraction that are embedded in settler colonialism, racial capitalism and patriarchy – and living through systemic oppression is exhausting,” wrote Marie-Louise Richards in an essay. As it turns out, when inequalities and discrimination are embedded in our socio-cultural, political and economic systems, some bodies are pushed to extremes more than others. And research shows that these bodies primarily belong to women, the poor and people from marginalized or minority communities.

“We used to think that sleep problems were limited to Type A professionals, and they certainly aren’t immune, but low-income individuals and racial minorities are actually at greatest risk,” Wendy Troxel, a behavioral and social scientist said.

Sleep, or the lack of it, is not simply a health concern. It intersects with race, ethnicity, gender and even income.

🔵 Deciphering Current Affairs

One way for mapping current affairs to sociology syllabus.

Please maintain a separate sheet for every topic/subtopic.

Whenever you read the news, enter social issues in the respective sheet.

You may write a one-liner and create a hyperlink to the detailed news.

Update this sheet regularly.

Revise it often.

Congratulations! You have conquered sociology current affairs.

Note: Please write only what you can recall. Don't write anything and everything. Don't run after too many technicalities.

@Decipher_Sociology