Silent Survival: Financial And Emotional Trauma Among Lower Middle-Class Men in India – An Auto-Ethnographic Study

ABSTRACT This research paper examines the lived reality of lower middle-class men in India who face prolonged financial instability, emotional suppression, family responsibility, and social comparison. Using an auto-ethnographic and qualitative approach, the study explores how continuous economic pressure, lack of institutional support, and cultural expectations of masculinity lead to emotional exhaustion, loss of personal aspirations, and identity conflict. The paper highlights how such men prioritize family survival over personal well-being, often remaining psychologically invisible within both society and academic discourse. The study concludes by emphasizing the need for recognizing male emotional vulnerability and developing accessible mental health and socio-economic support systems. Keywords: Lower Middle Class, Financial Trauma, Emotional Suppression, Masculinity, Mental Health, Family Responsibility