Managing social support for childless older Malaysians who are poor

Abstract

Although the vast caregiving literature shows that adult children generally play a key role in providing social support to ageing parents, research on how childless people manage to get their social support needs met in old age is quite limited. The emerging demographic and sociological literature on childlessness among older people, primarily located in western countries, gives limited attention to those who are poor, as well as childless. In countries such as Malaysia, with a strong policy focus on care provision by family and limited state provision for older people, how older childless people who are poor manage to get their social support needs met is of significant policy and research interest. To date, there is no research that focuses on this topic within this context.The older population in Malaysia is heterogeneous, having experienced major social, economic and historical changes and development since the country gained independence in 1957. Older people who are childless and poor have remained largely "invisible" in the changing Malaysian social and policy contexts. The aim of this study is to explore the life experiences of childless and poor older Malaysians. The study provides an insight into the pathways to childlessness, the opportunities and constraints in life which resulted in them being childless and poor in older age, and, under these circumstances, how social support needs are managed in old age. A Life Course Perspective frames the study as this locates experiences in a social, historical, cultural and political context, is useful in understanding how the past shapes the future, and incorporates core concepts such as cumulative effects, linked lives, timing and agency.Thirty-four childless and poor participants aged 62-82 years old of different gender, ethnic group and marital status were recruited and interviewed using semi-structured interviews. These interviews were conducted by the researcher in three languages, and participants were able to choose the language used. Recruitment was conducted in the welfare office in Kuala Lumpur. All interviews were translated and transcribed into English. The thematic analysis of the data identified themes and patterns in relation to childlessness, accumulated advantages and disadvantages, and managing social support needs. The overall story was developed using deduction and then induction processes closely linked to the conceptual framework that drove the study.In all cases, a combination of individual, family, and structural constraints contributed to childlessness in old age. Poor family relationships in the family of origin, poverty and structural impediments to adoption, suggested that childlessness in older age is not simply an individual choice. In most cases, childlessness was affected by the environment and context in which they