The Social Dynamics of Aging: An Ethnographic Study of Owerri West Imo State, Nigeria

This study examines the socio-cultural construction of aging, the traditional roles of elders, and shifting elder-care dynamics within the Owerri West Local Government Area of Imo State, Nigeria. Unlike Western frameworks that rely heavily on chronological or biological benchmarks, Owerri West defines aging primarily through shifts in social roles, community conduct, and ritual responsibilities. Elders are traditionally revered as repositories of wisdom, community adjudicators, and vital mediators between the living and the ancestral realm. This status grants them significant psychological and administrative authority, including the stewardship of family lands and leadership in cultural rites. However, the study highlights an emerging crisis: modern socio-economic shifts—such as urbanization, migration, smaller family sizes, and the prioritization of nuclear households—are actively dismantling the traditional extended family care system. With institutional alternatives like nursing homes or public welfare programs being virtually non-existent or cost-prohibitive, the elderly in Owerri West face growing vulnerability. The findings emphasize an urgent need for targeted public support systems to address these escalating demographic and structural gaps.