Gaps in the family networks of older people in three Indonesian communities.
Family networks are widely assumed to be a key source of support for older people in Indonesia and Southeast Asia more generally, although empirical study of their composition and functioning is in its infancy. This paper draws on ethnographic and survey data collected in longitudinal research of ageing in three rural Indonesian communities, in order to identify demographic and social factors limiting the size of elders' networks. Gaps in networks commonly emerge as a result of childlessness, migration and alienation, but their implications for older people's vulnerability are shaped by socio-economic status, reputation and cultural norms.
Kreager
Philip
P
Somerville College, Oxford University, Oxford, OX2 6HD, UK. Philip.Kreager@some.ox.ac.uk
Schröder-Butterfill
Elisabeth
E
D000300:Adoption; D000368:Aged; D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005194:Family Practice; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006299:Health Services for the Aged; D006801:Humans; D007214:Indonesia; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012424:Rural Population