Understanding social norms for women toward the elderly: Evidence from Japan

This study examines social norms held by Japanese women regarding the elderly. Specifically, I conduct a regression analysis of attitudes toward social norms such as “Older parents should live with their children,” “Family members should care their elderly parents,” and “Financial support for the elderly should be provided by families rather than public institutions” in order to understand individual characteristics associated with holding these norms. I find the following: For example, more educated individuals have more progressive attitudes toward coresidence and informal care, but different attitudes toward financial support. Non-regular employees have the most progressive norms regarding the elderly among all employment statuses. Norms about the elderly are highly related to norms about gender and the division of gender roles. In addition, although family circumstances—such as parental education level and the status of one’s siblings—may influence an individual’s attitudes toward norms regarding the elderly, these attitudes are more likely to be shaped by the individual’s later life experiences, particularly their educational attainment and employment status.