Dissertation, John Curtin Institute of Public Policy (
2019)
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Abstract
Since the subsidised economy was substituted by privatisation in 1986, family
became the main source of support for the majority of Vietnamese elderly.
Traditionally, old aged parents live under the same roof with their adult children, so
that they can be looked after.
Recently, the process of modernisation of its economy with the focus on urban areas
in Vietnam has pushed young rural generations away from home and torn rural
families apart. Scholars and experts have tried to understand if that movement is
having any impact on the left-behind parents. However, the majority of the existing
studies used secondary data, and quantitatively tested only the economic aspects.
Other aspects of life of the left-behind elders attracted a limited amount of research.
The voice of those left-behind elderly parents was also underestimated, and often
not heard.
This study utilised a qualitative approach and drew on the voice of those insiders,
whose children had migrated to urban areas for employment. It explores the wellbeing
of rural elderly individuals, not only the material aspects, but also emotional
and physical care.