Contemporary Indian Way of ‘Settling Down’: Emerging Adult’s Perspective

Abstract

‘Settling down’ in India historically entailed a culturally constructed notion for individuals, focusing on marriage. An exploration of the modern Indian idea of ‘Settling down’ was explored in light of the driving forces of globalization and increased migration. The current study explored the concept of ‘Settling down’ among emerging adults aged between 18 and 29 years who had migrated within the borders of India for education or employment purposes. To this end, semi-structured interviews were conducted. The reflexive thematic analysis method was employed for analysing the data. Emerging themes unveiled that despite marriage being endorsed by a few of the participants, co-habiting relationships were convenient and burden-free. Employment, financial independence, and professional stability emerged as the primary markers of ‘Settling down’ among migrant emerging adults. It was also recognized that migration had a critical impact on people’s decisions about ‘settling down.’

Keywords

• Settling down
• emerging adults
• migration
• education
• career decision-making