Self-Reliance and Comfort in Old Age: Productive Ageing Among People with Disabilities in Rural China

Abstract

The so-called rational discourse of present-day society values individuals for their ability to see, speak and act. But this prioritisation of voice and bodily agency neglects the subjectivity of disabled people, especially the disabled elderly, and how they address their existential dilemma. Based on in-depth interviews and a survey of 260 disabled older adults in NT Township, Shanxi Province, China, this study explores ‘productive ageing’ among them. Drawing on the experience of rural older adults with disabilities, five aspects of productive ageing were identified and examined: economic productivity, caring for the family, volunteering, lifelong learning and community work. The results demonstrate that, given the current official discourse on elderly care, senior adults with disabilities see themselves as needing to become self-reliant by making themselves productive despite their age. They do this by acting within a personal social support network aimed at providing security and comfort in their old age.