Gender Difference in Older Parents' Coresidence with Their Adult Children: A Comparison Between Japan and Taiwan

[Background] In East Asian societies, being influenced by Confucian values, the intergenerational coresidence (i.e. older parents live with, are provided, and cared for by their adult children) has been thought to be desirable. Recently, however, the coresidence rates are decreasing even in East Asia. Moreover, there are differences in the manners of the coresidence between societies there. The coresidence rates are relatively law in Japan but high in Taiwan. Gender distributions of living arrangements also differ between the two societies: older mothers are more likely than older fathers to live alone in Japan while there is no large gender difference in Taiwan. [Research question] Analyzing the process and determinants of intergenerational coresidence, this study explores why mothers are more likely than fathers to live alone in Japan and why there is no such difference in Taiwan. [Results] Analysis of Japanese and Taiwanese data obtained from the 2006 East Asian Social Survey reveals that in Japan, the “reunion” coresidence (the coresidence after a parent become widowed) prevails, and the determinants of coresidence differ between widowed mothers and widowed fathers: the factors that promote widowed fathers’ coresidence with their children do not necessarily promote the widowed mother’s coresidence with their children. In contrast in Taiwan, “life-time” coresidence (the continuous coresidence before and after a child’s marriage) prevails, and there is no difference in the likelihood of coresidence between widowed fathers and mothers. [Conclusions] First, with different public pension availability in the backdrop, older parents’ independent living is more expected in Japan than in Taiwan. Second, in Japan with different gender expectations (men as the care-receiver, women as the care-giver) in the backdrop, independent living is more expected for widowed mothers than for widowed fathers. Implications of older mothers’ risk in the availability of family care will be discussed. (296 words)