Coping Strategies among Employed Widows in Lalgudi Taluk, Trichy District

Abstract

A widow can be especially socially vulnerable in some countries due to the lack of protection of a male figure, and sometimes face significant economic problems as a result. It is estimated that there are over 245 million widows across the globe with over 500 million dependent children. A widow’s economic dependence is a severe threat to her self-esteem and her sense of identity. The stigma of widowhood itself negatively af­fects a woman and she falls in her own esteem.  The aim of this study is to describe the coping pattern among the widows working in informal sectors in Trichy. The present study is descriptive in nature.The universe of includes all the population of widow women workers in Lalgudi taluk of Trichy district and  the researcher  used the non-probability snow ball sampling method for collecting the sample. Results revealed that low level coping is seen among the dimensions like instrumental social support, active coping, denial, behavioural, emotional social support, acceptance, suppression and planning. High level of coping is seen among the dimensions like Positive, mental disengagement, religious coping, focused, substance, Restraint and Humor.

Keywords: women, widow, problems, workers and coping.