Abstract
Structural hierarchies such as race and caste shape chronic stress burdens by reinforcing everyday forms of social exclusion. While a growing body of research links everyday discrimination to mental health outcomes, its spatial patterning and relevance to later life remain underexplored. This study investigates how caste-based social hierarchies and local demographic structures jointly shape experiences of everyday discrimination and depressive symptoms among older adults in rural India. Using nationally representative data from the Longitudinal Aging Study in India (2017–2019), we analyze multivariate and multilevel models accounting for individual, household, and village characteristics. We find that individuals from marginalized caste groups report significantly higher levels of everyday discrimination and depressive symptoms compared to upper-caste groups. However, residing in villages where one’s own caste group forms the numerical majority substantially reduces these adverse outcomes. Further analysis suggests that experiences of discrimination are associated with elevated depressive symptoms, indicating a possible pathway linking caste and mental health. These findings highlight the importance of local social context in shaping the psychosocial well-being of ageing populations.
Presenters
Gopinath AnnaduraiPhD Candidate, Public Policy, Indian Institute of Management Bangalore, Karnataka, India
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Social and Cultural Perspectives on Aging
KEYWORDS
Caste inequality, Everyday discrimination, Mental health, Spatial stratification, Ageing
