A dilemma long faced by western societies -- how to bring the
generations together -- is also of growing concern in the east. In
Japan, where, until recently, the extended family often lived under
the same roof, social programs designed to facilitate interaction
between old and young have proliferated. Leng Leng Thang offers an
in-depth view of one of those programs, an unusual social welfare
institution called Kotoen.
Kotoen is a pioneering facility for multigenerational living,
providing both daycare for preschoolers and a home for elderly
residents. With its twin mottoes of fureai (being in touch) and
daikazoku (large extended family), it has been the subject of
widespread media attention and has served as a model for other
institutions. Yet Kotoen has never before been studied
seriously.
Under its director's inspiring leadership, Kotoen looks
unusually promising, but Thang is wary of simplistic conclusions.
Her interviews, research, and work as a volunteer at Kotoen reveal
the complaints common among some elderly residents toward their
surroundings in old age institutions as well as the painful
persistence of the traditional family ideal. Yet far from calling
the experiment a failure, Thang challenges accepted wisdom and
so-called common sense to reveal the advantages and limitations of
the relationships fostered between Kotoen's "grandchildren" and
"grandparents". The lessons learned from Kotoen illuminate the
urgency of reengaging the generations in an aging society and
provide direction for improving the quality of life for all.
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