Conférence de Hiroko UMEGAKI (Sciences Po) dans le cadre du séminaire interdisciplinaire « Société et culture du Japon contemporain », le 28 mars 2019.

(En anglais)

Rapid demographic ageing of industrialised countries makes problems related to elderly care increasingly pressing, requiring not only formal institutionalised care but also, critically, home care. In Japan, due to the reconstruction of family roles and responsibilities, shifts of social expectations of gender roles, and pressure for cost efficient care, a new group of caregivers is rapidly emerging – middle aged male family caregivers. As it is relevant and timely to learn from countries that are in advanced stages of societal ageing as is Japan, I focus on male employees facing elderly care needs who support parents living at home. I find that there are differences across institutional stakeholders and such men as to whether the pressures of elderly care should be addressed as a broader societal issue or as part of the personal, family domain. Further, preliminary findings indicate that achieving well-being in care-and-work may not lead to aiming for balance in reconciling work, care and family.