Shifts in Narratives of Aging: Dynamics of Social Relations Surrounding Elderly Care in Northern Thailand

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K02012
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Area studies
• Research Institution: Kyoto University
• Principal Investigator: HAYAMI Yoko 京都大学, 東南アジア地域研究研究所, 教授 (60283660)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 老い / 語り / 高齢者施設 / ケア / タイ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Due to unforeseen circumstances, fieldwork was limited to two very short visits. Most of the research consisted of analyses of recorded interviews performed in a state-run home for the elderly in northern Thailand who are lacking family and other care. Interviews with these most marginalized elderly in Thailand included narratives on life stories, family relationships, how they came to live in the home and their lives within the home. Analyses of patient’s narratives in the medical and psychiatric disciplines provided methodological and analytical examples for performing these analyses. The researcher had also gathered data interviews with those who participate in community-based elderly care in the region. For both of these topics and on wider context of elderly care in Thailand, I was able to publish some articles and an edited book, and the final year had the opportunity to present in several conferences both domestic and international.

Free Research Field

文化人類学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

子が老親を介護することを当然とする規範や言説の強いタイ社会にて、ケアの欠如の故に国立の高齢者施設に入居する高齢者は、言説や政策について正負両様のベクトルを持ちつつ、いずれにも捕われない自らの生をも語る。東南アジアにおける高齢化社会の研究は数量的マクロ分析が中心だがここではミクロな分析の方途を見出したことに意義がある。現在タイでどの様にケアが担われているのか、タイにおける高齢者ケアの社会化の研究は、ますます高齢化が進む日本とタイの今後を見通すうえで重要である。タイで口頭発表の折には、タイ人が知らないタイ社会の将来を占う重要な研究であり、政策立案者に聞いてもらいたい話だったとコメントを頂いた。