The Comparative Studies on the Community Care System Supporting the Urban Elderly People

2000 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

• Project/Area Number: 10410040
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B).
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: 社会学(含社会福祉関係)
• Research Institution: Hokkaido University
• Principal Investigator: KANEKO Isamu Hokkaido Univ., Grad. School of Letters Prof., 大学院・文学研究科, 教授 (50113212)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): TAKANO Kazuyoshi Yamaguchi Provincial Univ. Fac. of Social Welfare., Asso. Prof., 社会福祉学部, 助教授 (20275431) ; SONOBE Masahisa Sophia Univ., Fac. of Literature Prof., 文学部, 教授 (00154716) ; MORIOKA Kiyoshi Tokyo Metropolitan Univ., Fac. of Humanities Prof., 人文学部, 教授 (50125358)
• Project Period (FY): 1998 – 2000
• Keywords: Social Participation / Worth Living / Independence / Community Morale / Life Style / Service for the Elderly People / QOL / Role Creation

Research Abstract

Just a field consisted of income, health, job, retirement is a focus with the first concern in the study of aging. In addition, the importance of the QOL field and the solution about devastation of the communicative ability in daily life are the problems. It is the time when we should introduce a macro-sociological frame into the paradigm for the aging study, which strongly aimed at micro-sociology.
It can be said that six "myths of aging phobia" are in modern Japan. They are mentioned as follows, (1) All of over 65 years old are the aged.(2) Most of the aged are suffering from their health.(3) The aged are slow in understanding in comparison with the young.(4) The aged are unproductive.(5) The aged are not attractive and have nothing to do with sex.(6) All of the aged are more or less similar. However, these "myths" are denied at concrete level.
From the viewpoint of the theory of life course, it cannot be denied that roles of the aged are tenuous only with declined activities and comparatively less responsibility. According to our experiences of researches, subjective satisfaction with the aging partly depend on choice of groups himself.
In a word, the more elderly people have friends, acquaintances, and relation to groups, the harder they are to grow senile after their sixties. A preceded investment to have human relation and join to the society makes sure of interest named health in other words. Keeping fit is naturally important, and it is also significant for a primary factor of promoting their health to make an effort to have much relation to the society at the level of daily life, with radio gymnastic exercise, walking, jogging, singing.