Abstract
The present study endeavored to understand the perceptions of Indian older adults (age 60 and above) from urban centres of New Delhi, Kolkata, and Mumbai, about the state of youth development in India through applying a generational perspective. Drawing from our understanding of Bourdieu’s concept of cultural reproduction of values, the study explored older adults’ thoughts about the current state of Indian youth concerning their civic participation and contribution to the development of Indian society. Additionally, it sought to find familial roles that the elderly would like to undertake to support their younger family members. Thematic analysis revealed that the older adults in this study perceive that youths are not completely engaged in positive youth development and need to contribute more towards their civic societies. Additionally, the older adults expressed their interest in occupying the role of secondary socializing agents in the family due to their perceived intergenerational differences with youth.
Highlights
India, the second-most populous country and democracy in the world, is continuously changing and evolving to contend with the many outside forces and challenges it may face
We utilized the concept of youth engagement to understand trends in positive youth development
The present study explored the perspectives of the older population in order to understand how they view the young adults in their family as well as India in general
Summary
The second-most populous country and democracy in the world, is continuously changing and evolving to contend with the many outside forces and challenges it may face. Such changes are either in the form of significant developments meant to benefit citizens, while other changes prove to be maladaptive, leading to violence, disruption, communal riots, poverty, and unemployment, amongst others. In 2019, India witnessed the Citizenship Amendment Act – National Register of Citizens Protests. Students actively participated in these protests and advocated for societal and political change. Youth power was utilised by many different political parties like the National Student’s Union of India in both constructive as well as destructive manners. The entire country witnessed students emerging as leaders (Shankar 2020)
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