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Policy‐oriented cross‐cultural study in Japan
Author(s) -
Maeda Daisaku
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
geriatrics and gerontology international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.823
H-Index - 57
eISSN - 1447-0594
pISSN - 1444-1586
DOI - 10.1111/j.1447-0594.2004.00230.x
Subject(s) - population ageing , population , health care , field (mathematics) , medicine , gerontology , economic growth , environmental health , economics , mathematics , pure mathematics
Cross‐cultural research in the field of social gerontology is very useful for the development of aging policies and programs especially in the beginning stage of population aging. This is because the aging of population brings about the decline of family care and other social changes that society has not experienced so far. There are three types of cross‐cultural research in this field. The simplest type of cross‐cultural policy‐oriented study is the observation tour to advanced countries. The comparatively fast development of health and social services for the elderly in Japan between 1950 and the mid‐1970s owes greatly to this type of study. As the level of services is improved, the comparison of numerical data on the levels of basic health and social services for the elderly is gradually taken up. This type of study was once frequently used in Japan by policy‐makers and academicians. The third type of policy‐oriented cross‐cultural study is the one for the improvement of quality of services. It is to be noted that the methods to be used in this type of study is very different from those used in the comparative study of numerical data. It is a new challenge worthy of being defied, with their full strength, by contemporary and future Japanese social gerontologists.