Aging and social welfare in Sri Lanka

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K20522
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 80010:Area studies-related
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo (2021-2023); Kyoto University (2019-2020)
• Principal Investigator: Nakamura Sae 東京大学, 大学院総合文化研究科, 准教授 (80751205)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: スリランカ / 高齢者 / ケア / 福祉 / 介護 / 社会保障

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In the last two decades,Sri Lanka has developed and ageing policy that largely (though not solely) depends on adult children for the economic support and care for their aged parents. Although majority of the population strive to fulfill their obligation as a child,care from children to parents is no longer self-evident due to economic hardships and higher rate of migration and mobility.
This study attempted to capture the state of welfare of the elderly in Sri Lanka in today's context from both policy and ethnographic research perspectives.
This research project aimed first to understand an overall structure and characteristic of social welfare policy in Sri Lanka, and then to consider, mainly through ethnographic methods,the function of care networks within and outside of nuclear family as well as social security benefits/welfare programs for the elderly people living under different socio-economic conditions; urban, rural and institutions.

Free Research Field

文化人類学、南アジア地域研究

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

「近代的」制度にもとづく専門的ケアか「伝統的」制度である家族のケアのいずれかを「のぞましい」とする考え方があるが、スリランカも例にもれない。高齢者のための良質な医療・福祉サービスは高額でアクセスが難しく、世代間関係も流動化している現在、近代的なケアはおろか家族によるケアも当たり前に期待できなくなっている。本研究は、こうした制度にもとづく思考にとらわれずに、いわばスリランカの歴史的・社会的文脈のなかからあらわれる福祉やケアの実践を記述し、日常実践の現場から福祉政策の実態を照射する。こうして、スリランカの社会福祉をめぐる議論に参与しつつ、私たちの身近なケアの営みを振り返る契機を見いだす。