Abstract
Taiwan is experiencing rapid population aging. With the dramatically increasing dependency ratio, it is predicted that by the mid-2030s, every three working-age persons will have to support one aged citizen. In addition to the potential economic burden, there are other concerns. Traditionally, family members cared for their elders, especially when multi-generational households were common and men dominated the workforce. But this has changed in recent decades. With the decrease of multi-generational households and the rise of women in the workforce, home-based care is unfeasible to most families. Long-term elder care has become an urgent issue socially, economically, and politically in Taiwan. Responding to this social and economic demand, the government initiated a foreign live-in caregiver program in 1992. As of 2021, foreign live-in caregivers—mostly from the Philippines, Vietnam, and Indonesia—make up a large share of the more than 700,000 migrant workers in Taiwan. These caregivers usually sign 3-year contracts at a time and, therefore, become quasi-members of the family, creating new patterns of family dynamics and social interaction. Oscillating between the two ends of the continuum of cultural convergence and cultural hybridization, one can observe the emergence of as well as the resistance to multiculturalism within the family unit and in society in general. This tension, in turn, contributes to the social anxiety about aging. This study examines how the media reflect and cover this new social phenomenon in Taiwan and their potential in shaping public opinion and government policies about aging and elder care.
Presenters
Shu Ling Chen BerggreenAssociate Professor, Media Studies, University of Colorado-Boulder, Colorado, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Theme
Social and Cultural Perspectives on Aging
KEYWORDS
MEDIA, AGING, HOME-BASED CARE, PUBLIC OPINION, TAIWAN
