Migrants and Care In Aging East Asian Societies: Life Course Perspective

Papers in this session investigate the intersection of migration, care, and ageing. East Asia hosts some of the most rapidly ageing societies in the world, and concerns about ageing often coexist with worries about the elderly and the long-term care sector. These dual concerns justify various efforts to address labour shortages in the care sector through migrant labour. At the same time, there is a growing recognition that migrants, too, age. Migrants’ ageing is complicated by the prevalence of “temporary” labour migration schemes in the region, although many migrants manage to stay long-term without transitioning to permanent residency or citizenship. Whether they “return” to their “home countries” or remain in the countries of destination, their multiple precarities in legal status, citizenship/belonging, transnational families, and socio-economic challenges warrant scholarly investigation. Geographically, we explore a broad region of East Asia (both Northeast and Southeast). Papers in this session could explore, but are not limited to:

• Migrant strategy and decision-making around retirement, old-age care, and mobility decisions for “temporary” and “long-term” im/migrants;
• Transnational householding and care for middle-aged or older marriage migrants and transnational grandparenting; Life course perspectives on transnational migrants’ ageing and related experiences of work, health, family life, and mobility;
• Policies about migrant inclusion into social, health, long-term care insurance systems, and other welfare programs; Immigration policies on care labour migration, especially focusing on old-age and long-term care workers;
• How are gender norms of migrants being contested, negotiated and transformed in providing or receiving care;
• Other relevant topics.