Socio-cultural dimension of gendered wellbeing of older persons in Lampung, Indonesia
Date
2013
Authors
Thristiawati, Safrina
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Women's experiences of ageing are markedly different from men's. The sex-difference in older age is predominantly a result of enduring inequalities across the life course, apparent in many areas, including education, labour force participation, public programs for health and income security, national legal system as well as cultural practices. The Indonesian government has provided only limited fully-funded programs for select older Indonesians. This study examines the wellbeing of the older Indonesians using a multi-level strategy including: (1) examination at national level of the socio-economic background of older Indonesians; (2) exploration of sex-differences in the wellbeing of two ethnic groups, Lampungese and Javan-migrants, using an ethnographic approach in Whyanda, Lampung in 2009-2010. The thesis analyses three key dimensions of the lives of older persons in Lampung. These are: (1) sex differences in the physical wellbeing of the older persons, measured by self-rated health; (2) sex differences in the economic wellbeing of older persons, measured by individual income, home ownership and ownership of household items; and (3) sex differences in the vulnerability of older persons, measured by "doubly-poor" characteristics, a composite of low self-rated health and low economic wellbeing. By and large, older women experience lower physical and economic wellbeing compared with older men; the lower wellbeing is significantly related to their lower status within the family. With regard to physical wellbeing, the main finding is that an older person's status within the family is a significant factor related to health, but the direction of the relations depended on the sex and ethnicity of the person. The high status does signify a better health, but only for older men. However, Javan-migrants (men and women) report better health when they have relatively equal status within the family, which is in accordance with Javan cultural norms. Six significant socio-demographic variables related to the older persons' health are lifestyle, inter-generational monetary and in-kind transfers, time spent on unpaid and paid work, and involvement in religious groups. In terms of economic wellbeing, education is the strongest positive indicator of income and ownership of household items. As an indicator of home ownership, education is second after ethnicity. Income is also positively related to living in urban area, being a Javan-migrant, working more than 35 hours weekly and monetary transfers between parents and children. Home ownership is related to ethnicity, the number of living children and age. Access to household goods is linked positively to income, health and number of living children. Among vulnerable older persons, women seem to be more vulnerable than men. However, among the 'most vulnerable' no significant sex-differences are observed. This research demonstrates that the mainstream cultural convention may assign men to higher status within the family compared with women, but this sex-difference in status is mitigated by ethnic norms. Putting relatively equal value on men's and women's contributions to the family, means a husband and wife have a relatively equal status, which in turn has a positive effect on the wellbeing of both men and women in their later life.
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