The Socio-Spatial Dynamics of Aging: Evidence From Kamrup Metropolitan District

Abstract

Aging presents intensifying challenges including physical vulnerability, social isolation, and financial insecurity, predicted by biological age yet critically shaped by environmental context. This qualitative study explores how these vulnerabilities accumulate across World Health Organization (WHO)- age groups (Young-Old, Old-Old, and Oldest-Old) using in-depth narratives from thirty diverse older adults in urban Assam, India. Moving beyond purely biological understandings, the study adopts an integrated framework synthesizing Lawton’s Ecological Model, Cumulative Disadvantage (CAD) Theory, and Active Aging. While health shifts with age, socio-spatial contexts critically shape lived experiences. Rapid urbanization and inadequate planning often ‘manufacture dependency’, turning neighbourhood environments into spaces of confinement, particularly for older women facing cumulative lifelong inequalities. However, findings indicate advancing age need not lead to inevitable decline where accessible infrastructure exists. The study advocates for inclusive urban planning to transform age-related challenges into opportunities for dignity and continued participation.