TY - CHAP
T1 - Successful Ageing
T2 - The Novel Perspectives and Experiences of Vietnamese Migrants in Australia
AU - Nguyen, Hien Thi
AU - Baldassar, Loretta
AU - Wilding, Raelene
PY - 2023
Y1 - 2023
N2 - Existing studies on successful ageing have been criticised for their western-centric approach. To address this criticism, this study presents Vietnamese migrants’ perspectives and experiences of successful ageing in a transnational context. Using a grounded theory approach and featuring emic perspectives, data collected on 42 Vietnamese migrants in Australia through ethnographic interviews and participant observation were analysed to develop a model of successful ageing based on the socio-cultural values and economic and institutional contexts of the home and host countries. The findings indicate that, contrary to the western notions associated with individual successes, self-control, and independence, Vietnamese migrants’ successful ageing perceptions comprise three key dimensions: family fulfilments, individual achievements, and social engagement and protection, of which family fulfilments is the most crucial; the others, individual achievements and social engagement and protection, are relevant but rendered meaningless without the former. Accordingly, Vietnamese migrants’ conceptualisation of successful ageing is culturally driven and socially constructed, and must be understood subjectively by incorporating multiple self-defined and self-categorised dimensions. This is especially evident in transnational and migrant contexts, in which the Vietnamese people’s perceptions of successful ageing are influenced by cultural exchanges and transformation, but retain their dominant cultural meanings.
AB - Existing studies on successful ageing have been criticised for their western-centric approach. To address this criticism, this study presents Vietnamese migrants’ perspectives and experiences of successful ageing in a transnational context. Using a grounded theory approach and featuring emic perspectives, data collected on 42 Vietnamese migrants in Australia through ethnographic interviews and participant observation were analysed to develop a model of successful ageing based on the socio-cultural values and economic and institutional contexts of the home and host countries. The findings indicate that, contrary to the western notions associated with individual successes, self-control, and independence, Vietnamese migrants’ successful ageing perceptions comprise three key dimensions: family fulfilments, individual achievements, and social engagement and protection, of which family fulfilments is the most crucial; the others, individual achievements and social engagement and protection, are relevant but rendered meaningless without the former. Accordingly, Vietnamese migrants’ conceptualisation of successful ageing is culturally driven and socially constructed, and must be understood subjectively by incorporating multiple self-defined and self-categorised dimensions. This is especially evident in transnational and migrant contexts, in which the Vietnamese people’s perceptions of successful ageing are influenced by cultural exchanges and transformation, but retain their dominant cultural meanings.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85175048115&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/978-981-99-5382-0_4
DO - 10.1007/978-981-99-5382-0_4
M3 - Chapter
AN - SCOPUS:85175048115
SN - 9789819953844
SN - 9789819953813
T3 - Quality of Life in Asia
SP - 53
EP - 77
BT - Housing and Ageing Policies in Chinese and Global Contexts
A2 - Shum, Terence Chun Tat
A2 - Kwong, Charles C. L.
PB - Springer
ER -