The Well-Being of the Elderly in Asia: A Four-Country Comparative Study

1. Aging in Asia: Facing the Crossroads

Chapter 1 AGING IN ASIA: FACING THE CROSSROADS Albert I Hermalin andLora G Myers I n the broadest sense, this monograph is a study in social change and in anticipating future social change. It examines the effects on the current and future elderly ofthe rapid demographic transition that has occurred over much ofAsia, accompanied in many countries by equally dramatic social and economic transformations. Policymakers in Asia have been aware of these trends and their potentially deleterious consequences for a decade or more, and have sought to fashion appropriate policies and programs that anticipate and mitigate their effects. Accordingly, any study of the sociodemographic trends and their impact must be examined in the light ofpolicies put in place and under development. This convergence ofdemographic and socioeconomic changes in Asia has led to concern for the vitality of several key institutions, the strength of intergenerational relations, and the well-being ofa large segment ofthe population . For example, one strand of literature and popular opinion holds that these changes have weakened respect and support for elders, a viewpoint buttressed by reports in the mass media of isolated older individuals abandoned by their children and living in dire straits. A very different school of thought, which draws on limited data, holds that longstanding family and cultural arrangements in Asia will protect the elderly from the deleterious effects ofthese changes. Meanwhile, policymakers must simultaneously strive to maintain strong institutional arrangements and make realistic assessments of sociodemographic trends in order to effectively meet evolving needs. 2 The Well-Being ofthe Elderly in Asia A second major theme that concerns both researchers and policy-makers is the potential impact of population aging on economic development. Will emerging older age structures adversely affect numbers of workers and their productivity and, ifso, what policy levers are available to mitigate these effects? Will the costs of new pension and health programs associated with population aging detract significantly from improvements in consumption and savings levels? Governments are also concerned that the economic growth they need to develop more services and support for the elderly, as well as to maintain and expand other social programs, may not be forthcoming as a result ofpopulation aging. Our study is an empirical analysis ofthe effects ofpopulation aging to date and an attempt to discern some of the future patterns and issues. How well offare the current elderly and what factors affect their situation? To the extent thatAsian societies are accommodating the rapid cultural, demographic, and socioeconomic changes, what forms do these adjustments take and how robust might they be under future pressures? How have policymakers been responding and what major challenges lie ahead? Current techniques ofdata collection and analysis allow a more complete answer to the first question and providing it will occupy much of this volume. At the same time by reviewing current policies and programs in relation to our analytic findings, we hope to shed some light on the other key issues as well. The analyses in pursuit ofthese goals relies to a great extent on detailed surveys and related studies carried out over a several-year period in four Asian countries-the Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, and Singapore. Though no small group ofcountries can represent the diversity ofAsia, these four focal countries exhibit considerable variety in terms of cultural heritage, ethnicities, and history, as well as in their levels ofdemographic and socioeconomic change. Each chapter contains analyses that compare and contrast these countries, with an eye to identifying commonalities and differences in their responses to the underlying forces. Though the focus on four countries sacrifices some of the generality to be gained from including a larger number, it facilitates these comparative analyses that would not otherwise be possible. As such this work should be seen as complementing other literature on the topic that includes more countries, but usually in the form ofa country-by-country review without a common framework. (Phillips, 2000; Bengston et aI., 2000; Phillips, 1992). To contextualize our detailed analyses ofthe four countries, at various points we relate our findings to wider trends in Asia and elsewhere. In this introductory chapter we review the nature of the challenges facing many Asian countries as a result of population aging and socioeconomic trends and the potential levers available, as well as their limitations. We also provide a briefintroduction to the surveys and material that form the Aging in Asia: Facing the Crossroads 3 core of our analyses, and a...