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- Convenor:
-
Leng Leng Thang
(National University of Singapore)
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- Track:
- Life and Death
- Location:
- Alan Turing Building G109
- Sessions:
- Wednesday 7 August, -
Time zone: Europe/London
Short Abstract:
This panel examines the well-being among older persons through their strategies, practices and behaviors from diverse cultures and societies. A gendered approach will be emphasized where possible to understand differences men and women in their experiences of well-being in later life.
Long Abstract:
In the age of mass longevity where mandatory retirement no longer spells the end of one's contribution to society and one's pursuit of an active lifestyle, we are witnessing emerging diversities within and across societies and cultures in exploring what constitutes the well-being of older persons. Moreover, in the recent decades, globalization which has facilitated the ease of cross-border movements has further afforded opportunities for older persons to experience later life in different cultures through long stay and retirement migration. How has the search for well-being change with new opportunities available? How have one's cultural resources help in enhancing later-life well-being? In this panel, through ethnographic cases and qualitative examination of the strategies, practices and behaviors of older persons from diverse cultures and societies, the presentations further explore the actors' interactions with predominant concerns in aging, such as financial and care concerns, as well as their interactions with the larger environment and community to give meaning and value to later life. Where possible, the presenters are also encouraged to take a gendered approach to promote the understanding of the differences men and women may experience about well-being in later life.
Accepted papers:
Session 1 Wednesday 7 August, 2013, -Paper short abstract:
This paper reflects upon the process of elderly care carried out in a depopulated town in Japan, has led to the creation of living places for people from diverse cultural backgrounds and multiple generations. It also explores the meaning of work, developing technologies, and leisure as an element that makes up the time and space in which people gather.
Paper long abstract:
This paper reflects upon the process of elderly care that is conscious of seniors' well-being, carried out in a depopulated town in Japan, has led to the creation of living places for people from diverse cultural backgrounds and multiple generations.
This paper traces the activities of persons searching for ways to promote new industry in a town located on the island of Shikoku—one that is suffering from progressive aging and depopulation—in a manner that is appropriate to the local environment and that also matches the needs of the senior citizens, aiming to help them continue to live in a community that they are familiar with.
It explores the kind of world discovered by those seniors who have continued to work by taking advantage of both their own resources and those of the community and looks at how the creative ways of supporting those efforts have affected the lifestyle of people of younger generations as well as the very nature of the town.
The paper also considers such questions as how people across different generations and differing cultural backgrounds view themselves, the people surrounding them, and their environment, as they pursue those care-related activities, and how those activities get linked to community design. It also explores the meaning of work, developing technologies, and leisure as an element that makes up the time and space in which people gather. Through that, the paper considers the significance of the way that the wisdom of community inhabitants is expressed and shared.
Paper short abstract:
Both Japanese and American elderly people are eager to be involved in activities after retirement. This paper examines various innovative ways in which “work” is used in both America and Japan, delineates the meaning of “work” in old age, and shows how it makes life worth living for elderly people.
Paper long abstract:
Both Japanese and American elderly people are eager to be involved in activities and the building of new social networks after retirement. To this end, senior centers and programs in local communities are popular. Many American elderly people view these centers as places for volunteering, and they describe such activities as their "work" despite the lack of monetary reward. They believe that volunteering should be like "work", in that there should be a clear sense of purpose and a determination to do it; also, it should be carried out to a regular schedule and with a sense of responsibility. The necessary discipline should come from themselves and not from others. Volunteering is a symbol of success in old age because being able to volunteer means that a person has ample health, time and money.
Japanese elderly people, on the other hand, see senior centers as somewhere to enjoy their leisure time, and definitely not as places to work. However, in recent years, many Japanese elderly people have become eager to play a more active role, similar to that of American elderly people. Some day care centers use "work" as therapy. For example, a woman who was a wonderful cook before suffering a stroke might be assigned to be a cooking instructor for other stroke victims.
The paper examines various innovative ways in which "work" is used in both America and Japan, delineates the meaning of "work" in old age, and shows how it makes life worth living for elderly people.
Paper short abstract:
The pressures of globalization and migration make ageing an increasingly intercultural process. Those who cross cultural borders eventually grow old and experience a series of losses. This paper illustrates various forms of well-being among ageing Japanese overseas, in the USA, Brazil and Europe.
Paper long abstract:
Elderly populations have increased steadily but dramatically in recent years, and in the past few decades ageing--especially in highly developed countries--has become one of the world's most serious issues. Planning for an active and fulfilling retirement has become vital for those immediately involved in the ageing process: the elderly, caregivers (families and care workers) and policy makers.
The pressures of globalization and migration make ageing an increasingly intercultural process. Those who cross societal and cultural borders eventually grow old and experience a series of losses in physical strength, social roles or family relationships. Ageing is more than a sequence of changes in an individual; it is also a group experience that varies from culture to culture. In multicultural societies like the USA, Brazil, and Europe, the ageing process differs from one ethnic group to another. Nonwhite elderly people--not all but many of them--find themselves in 'double jeopardy,' suffering from both racial discrimination and ageism. Their ageing experience of Japanese overseas is essentially dissimilar to that of the so-called 'elderly.'
How have Japanese overseas been ageing actively in a multicultural society? How has the ethnic community contributed to the well-being of the elderly? This paper will answer these questions by illustrating various forms of well-being among ageing Japanese overseas in the USA, Brazil, and Europe. This ethnographic research is based on fieldwork conducted intermittently from 1998 to 2013.
Paper short abstract:
The paper examines social well-being among Singaporean seniors living in public studio housing . With the norm for seniors to live with their families, understanding the experiences of the residents will shed light on the meanings of this new form of 'senior housing' on their sense of well-being.
Paper long abstract:
While living with the family remains a widely accepted norm among the seniors in Singapore; in reality, we are witnessing a shift in living arrangements of the seniors, where more are living only with spouse-only or alone. One indication of the shift is reflected in the launch of the Public housing - HDB (Housing and Development Board) studio apartments in end 1990s catering to residents age 55 and above. Referred to as an exception in the family-nucleus focused public housing policy, the HDB studio apartments not only opens up an alternative to senior housing, but also a viable option to financing well-being with one's downsizing of housing types. What characterizes the studio apartments for seniors? How have living in a studio apartment impact on the well-being of its residents? Through an exploration of the daily experiences of the residents, their concerns, practices and strategies, the paper attempts to shed light on the meanings they envisage of the studio apartment concept they live in as a new form of "senior housing" affecting one' well-being in old age. In the discussion, the differences in experiences between the older male and female residents will be highlighted in arguing for a need of a gender-sensitive approach in understanding later life well-being.