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Intergenerational Dynamics Related to Aging and Eldercare in Asian American Families: Promoting Access to Services

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The Collective Spirit of Aging Across Cultures

Part of the book series: International Perspectives on Aging ((Int. Perspect. Aging,volume 9))

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Abstract

As the number of older Asian Americans continues to grow so do the number of issues they face related to aging. As older adults age, many may face issues related to aging such as daily care, physical health, mental health, and access to services. These issues are complicated by differences between Eastern and Western cultures within Asian American families and the different acculturation levels between the generations within the family. This chapter uses the intergenerational ambivalence paradigm (Luescher and Pillemer 1998) to guide the discussion of intergenerational dynamics related to aging and eldercare in Asian American families. The chapter begins with a brief description and comparison between Eastern and Western cultures and an exploration of the differences in cultural values that affect familial caregiving. Caregiving among Asian American families is then put into the contexts of structural and individual ambivalences. Caregiving options from an Asian American perspective are presented next. The chapter concludes with interventions and suggestions for community service providers.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of North Florida, Jacksonville, USA

    Suzie S. Weng

  2. Virginia Commonwealth University Partnership for People with Disabilities, Richmond, USA

    Jacqueline Robinson

Authors
  1. Suzie S. Weng
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  2. Jacqueline Robinson
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Correspondence to Suzie S. Weng .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Social Work, Morgan State University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA

    Halaevalu F.Ofahengaue Vakalahi

  2. School of Social Work, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA

    Gaynell M. Simpson

  3. Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College, The City University of New York, New York, New York, USA

    Nancy Giunta

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Weng, S.S., Robinson, J. (2014). Intergenerational Dynamics Related to Aging and Eldercare in Asian American Families: Promoting Access to Services. In: Vakalahi, H., Simpson, G., Giunta, N. (eds) The Collective Spirit of Aging Across Cultures. International Perspectives on Aging, vol 9. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-8594-5_9

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