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Future Generation of British Asians Have Low Expectations of Family Support in Old Age, Says New Study

February 24, 2005

A new piece of research carried out to investigate the attitudes to, and financial planning for care, in old age revealed startling changes in the aspirations and expectations of life in old age among middle-aged Gujarati and Bangladeshi people in the East Midlands. The University of Leicester research was carried out by Dr Savita Katbamna, Research Fellow and funded by the Nuffield Foundation.

The current generation of middle-aged Gujarati and Bangladeshi people who arrived in Britain in the early 1970s and 1980s, and have spent much of their adult life in Britain, are now approaching retirement age. The research was based on discussion groups and face-to-face interviews with men and women aged 40-65 from the two communities and included people from a wide range of social and economic background.

The findings will be presented on Tuesday 1st March in London. Speakers at the launch in London will include Professor Chris Phillipson, Professor of Social Gerontology, Keele University, Mr Mark Heholt, Link-Age Programme Manager, Department of Work and Pensions, and Mr Chris Curry, Research Director, Pensions Policy Institute, King's College London.

The influence of traditional cultural values and beliefs in the exchange of intergenerational obligations between generations remains relatively strong within these communities. However, aspirations of the life in old age and expectations of care and support from family and the state are beginning to be revised by the need for self-determination, the sense of 'belonging' to the mainstream British society and by the vagaries of social and economic climate in Britain. Some of the report's key findings indicate that:

·Physical and mental limitations, cultural values and behaviour were viewed as more important markers of old age than chronological age.

·There was strong desire to lead an active and fulfilled life in old age which would meet their intellectual and recreational requirements.

·Although a desire to maintain close family ties remained a high priority many participants in the study, Gujarati women in particular, were keen to emphasis that they would not choose to live in the same household as their children in old age.

·Participants were concerned that their quality of life in old age could be undermined by the recent changes in the provision of health and social care support. Bangladeshi participants generally had a lower expectation of longevity and of living a disability-free life in old age than their Gujarati counterparts. This pessimism was a reflection of the high level of social and material disadvantages experienced by many Bangladeshi participants.

·Whilst participants in both communities stressed that children were 'morally' obliged to look after their elderly parents, they believed the state had the 'legal' obligation to provide both social and financial support in old age. Our findings challenge the assumption that in the future the extended family will provide support for older people.

·The level of preparation participants had made for income in retirement varied greatly between and within these two communities. Those in secure and well-paid employment were generally better prepared than those on low pay and those who had experienced a long period of unemployment or were economically inactive.

·Participants believed that it was important to save for their own needs in old age and to leaving something for their children. Knowledge of saving schemes and religious beliefs influenced decisions about savings. There was strong opposition to the use of housing equity to pay for long-term care because participants argued that it would be unfair to penalise people who had worked hard to save.

·These findings clearly have implications for policy makers and health and social care providers as the need for social and financial support is likely to grow in the future as increasing numbers of South Asian elderly people will look to the state to provide support.


Leicester, University of