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Productive Aging of the Elderly in Japan

  • Korean Social Science Journal
  • Abbr : KSSJ
  • 2010, 37(1), pp.1-26
  • Publisher : Korean Social Science Research Council
  • Research Area : Social Science > Social Science in general

KIM JU HYUN 1

1서울대학교

Candidate

ABSTRACT

This study is a comprehensive analysis of the characteristics of the future prospects for the elderly in Korea based on research about the elderly in Japan where advanced policies for an aging society are well established and the family values and the cultural environment are similar to Korea. This study examines the important factors that shape productive living for the elderly in Japan, how they participate in such retirement activities, how they want to construct retirement, and what they expect. The analysis methodology selected elderly people who participate in productive activities, conducted in-depth interviews with them, and analyzed the interviews as empirical cases. The analysis results show that elderly people have an intention to participate in productive activities and this contributes positively to the degree of life satisfaction for them. In addition, the elderly people interviewed were aware of the aging society Japan and the burden of supporting senior members that is now a social issue open for discussion. Therefore, they find their activities meaningful in that those activities help to change negative social perspectives of the elderly. They emphasized the fact that through voluntary participation in productive activities, they spare society and their children the burden of supporting them. In addition, the core factor in the elderly choosing and participating in the activities for their happy old age was an independent evaluation rather than pressure from outside. The conclusion identifies that the Japanese social system enables elderly people to be financially more independent than elderly in Korea, because the elderly in Japan can rely on the pension for their old age, which affects their independent relationship with their children as well.

Citation status

* References for papers published after 2023 are currently being built.