Linked Lives
Elder Care, Migration, and Kinship in Sri Lanka
By Michele Ruth Gamburd | Publisher: Rutgers University Press
About the book
When youth shake off their rural roots and middle-aged people migrate for economic opportunities, what happens to the grandparents left at home? Linked Lives provides readers with intimate glimpses into homes in a Sri Lankan Buddhist village, where elders wisely use their moral authority and their control over valuable property to assure that they receive both physical and spiritual care when they need it. The care work that grandparents do for grandchildren allows labor migration and contributes to the overall well-being of the extended family. The book considers the efforts migrant workers make to build and buy houses and the ways those rooms and walls constrain social activities. It outlines the strategies elders employ to age in place, and the alternatives they face in local old folks’ homes. Based on ethnographic work done over a decade, Michele Gamburd shows how elders face the challenges of a rapidly globalizing world.
Editions of Linked Lives
- Paperback
- ISBN 9781978815308
- EBook
- ISBN 9781978815322
- PDF
- ISBN 9781978815346
Read an Excerpt
When youth shake off their rural roots and middle-aged people migrate for economic opportunities, what happens to the grandparents left at home? Linked Lives provides readers with intimate glimpses into homes in a Sri Lankan Buddhist village, where elders wisely use their moral authority and their control over valuable property to assure that they receive both physical and spiritual care when they need it. The care work that grandparents do for grandchildren allows labor migration and contributes to the overall well-being of the extended family. The book considers the efforts migrant workers make to build and buy houses and the ways those rooms and walls constrain social activities. It outlines the strategies elders employ to age in place, and the alternatives they face in local old folks’ homes. Based on ethnographic work done over a decade, Michele Gamburd shows how elders face the challenges of a rapidly globalizing world.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Linked Lives about?
When youth shake off their rural roots and middle-aged people migrate for economic opportunities, what happens to the grandparents left at home? Linked Lives provides readers with intimate glimpses into homes in a Sri Lankan Buddhist village, where elders wisely use their moral authority and their control over valuable property to assure that they receive both physical and spiritual care when they need it. The care work that grandparents do for grandchildren allows labor migration and contributes to the overall well-being of the extended family. The book considers the efforts migrant workers make to build and buy houses and the ways those rooms and walls constrain social activities. It outlines the strategies elders employ to age in place, and the alternatives they face in local old folks’ homes. Based on ethnographic work done over a decade, Michele Gamburd shows how elders face the challenges of a rapidly globalizing world.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Linked Lives?
Society and Social Sciences > Society and culture: general > Social and ethical issues > Migration, immigration and emigration
Where can I read a sample of Linked Lives?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9781978815308
Is Linked Lives part of a series, and can it be read as a standalone?
Yes it is a part of series Global Perspectives on Aging
Who is/are the Author/s of the book Linked Lives?
Michele Ruth Gamburd
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
Linked Lives is available as paperback(ISBN 9781978815308) and ebook(ISBN 9781978815322) and pdf(ISBN 9781978815346)
Where can I buy Linked Lives online or support local independent bookshops?
You can buy Linked Lives from below
Where can I buy Linked Lives?