Yoshihiko Kadoya

Widow Discrimination and Family Caregiving in India: Evidence from Microdata Collected From Six Major Cities

The purpose of this research is to address the lack of a region-wide view of widow discrimination in India, the home of 42 million widows. This study analyzed the household data collected in face-to-face interviews from January to March of 2011 in six major Indian cities. It was revealed that widow discrimination does not prevail across the nation. That is, this research did not deny the existence of traditional widow discrimination in some areas but demonstrated that this phenomenon does not represent the whole nation if we focus on the widows’ old age and the treatment by their families.

Who will care for older people in China? Exploring the implications of gender imbalance at birth

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide evidence about the possible cause and effect of the problematic gender imbalance at birth in China. Much of the literature on this issue presents discussions based on the traditional assumption that Chinese sons are more involved in taking care of parents than Chinese daughters are, and thus, that Chinese parents prefer sons. Yet, empirical evidence is lacking. Design/methodology/approach – This paper verifies the assumption by using the “Preference Parameters Study in China 2011,” which conducted 652 face-to-face interviews with randomly selected individuals in six major Chinese cities. Findings – This paper first presents empirical evidence that Chinese sons (and their wives) are more likely, compared to daughters (and their husbands), to be primary caregivers for parents. The paper also reports the finding that Chinese parents’ dependencies on their children would not necessarily decrease with the development of social security, although that may be the case when a child has a highly educated spouse. Practical implications – The Chinese government needs to increase long-term care services for older people, especially since more women are being educated. Originality/value – Although this study has data collection limitations, with data collected in only six major cities,the problematic nature ofgender imbalance atbirth andthe lackofavailableempirical evidencedemand that researchers begin to construct a better understanding of the causes of, and possible solutions to, this phenomenon. With that in mind, this paper contributes to that construction of knowledge and insight.

Can Financial Literacy Reduce Anxiety about Life in Old Age

This study examines the role of financial literacy in reducing anxiety about life in old age. We hypothesize that financial literacy increases preparedness for old age through better savings and investment decisions, leading to the accumulation of more assets and earning more income, which enhances financial capacity and reduces anxiety. Using data from a nationwide panel survey in Japan, we provide evidence that financial literacy can reduce anxiety about life in old age by making people capable of accumulating more assets and earning more income. Moreover, the interaction of financial literacy with age and spouse reduces anxiety, while living with children increases anxiety about life during old age. We check the robustness of our results using an alternative measure of financial literacy, changing composition of the sample, controlling for residents’ geographical dispersion, and testing for endogeneity bias. The major findings remain unchanged after considering these factors.

Widow Discrimination and Family Care-Giving in India

The purpose of this research is to address the lack of a region-wide view of widow discrimination in India, the home of 42 million widows. This study analyzed the household data collected in face-to-face interviews from January to March of 2011 in six major Indian cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata, and Hyderabad. It was revealed that widow discrimination does not prevail across the nation. That is, this research did not deny the existence of traditional widow discrimination in some areas, but demonstrated that this phenomenon does not represent the whole nation if we focus on the widows old age and the treatment by their family. Certainly, this research has some limitations, including the fact that the observations came only from cities. However, this is pioneering research, and more significantly, it addresses the lack of a region-wide view analysis of widow discrimination in India with an aging population.

Can concern for the long-term care of older parents explain son preference at birth in India?

ABSTRACT This study examines whether concern for the long-term care of older parents is the primary reason for son preference in India. Controlling for important socioeconomic factors that are believed to affect son preference, we find that concern for long-term care is the principal cause of son preference in India. Sons serve as the primary caregivers to elderly parents, while daughters are mostly engaged in caring for parents-in-law. This trend is more acute in rural than in urban areas. Our study also finds a strong implication of the filial relationship for the long-term care of elderly parents.

Gender differences in the long-term care of older parents: evidence from India

ABSTRACT This paper examines gender differences in the long-term care of older parents in India by studying the expected provision of care by married sons and daughters. Gender differences in long-term care are important, as the sociocultural environment of India shapes the role of married children. While married sons are expected to provide long-term care for their biological parents, married daughters have limited scope to do so, a tendency that was revealed through our data from Osaka University’s ‘Preference Parameters in India, 2011.’ Other family members are also expected to play a significant role in parental care, while neither gender expects their parents to rely on professional long-term care. This paper contributes to the scarce empirical evidence on long-term care for older parents by married children, as opposed to previous research that has focused on the division of caregiving activities between sons and daughters in general.

What makes people anxious about life after the age of 65? Evidence from international survey research in Japan, the United States, China, and India

This study investigated the causes of peoples anxieties about life after the age of 65 years, using household data from countries with different social contexts: Japan, the United States, China, and India. This research added contextual aspects to the literature on social security and precautionary savings. An ordered probit model was used to establish the causes of anxiety and a generalized structural equation model was used to check the robustness of the results. This study uncovered three major findings. First, anxiety levels about life at an older age partly depend on peoples views of the future. Second, high financial status lessens peoples anxiety levels only if prices are stable. Third, living with a child, contrary to expectations, does not necessarily lessen peoples concerns about life after 65.

UXO clearance operation in Laos

Laos is one of the most seriously contaminated countries by UXO. Most of the UXO are cluster bombs, used in 1960- 70’s. There is historical political background about the UXO problems in Laos. Currently, The clearance of UXO is significantly important for future economic development for Laos. It affects not only local inhabitants, but it will affects national economy. For example, UXO clearance in mountainous area can promote construction of roads, and Laos has a good possibility to be the center of transportation in Indo-Chia region. We have started a research project for evaluation of impact of UXO clearance in Laos, “The economic impact and the technological development for the elimination of unexploded ordnance (UXO) elimination in Laos”. Lao National Unexploded Ordnance Programme (UXO Lao) is working in the nine most impacted provinces nationwide and it clears land for agriculture and community purposes. We recently visited Laos and observed the UXO clearance procedure conducted by UXOLAO. The technical survey for UXO clearance site to determine for operation, UXO detection by using metal detectors are organized by UXO Lao. In this paper, we will report the technical aspects of the UXO clearance in Laos.

Effects of China's one-child policy on group cooperation: survey evidence

ABSTRACT This study examines whether Chinese workers born after the one-child policy (OCP) regime are really less cooperative in the workplace as postulated by the ‘little emperors syndrome.’ The increasing share of OCP generation workers in the Chinese workforce has created diversity in the group that requires examining whether intergenerational gap exists in the personality that can affect the level of cooperation in the group. We provide evidence that workers from the OCP generation are no less cooperative than the workers from the pre-OCP generation. We argue that strong Chinese culture influenced by the Confucius roots makes OCP generation workers cooperative although this generation is self-centric in the daily life.

What determines financial literacy in Japan

This study aims to determine the factors that affect financial literacy in Japan using data from Osaka University’s Preference Parameter Study in Japan. We examined fourteen variables covering respondents’ demographic, socio-economic, and psychological backgrounds drawn from social learning, consumer socialization, and psychology theories of learning. The results indicate that the demographic factors of gender, age, and education; the socio-economic factors of income and occupation; and the psychological factor of perceptions about future significantly affect the level of financial literacy. We checked the robustness of results using a different measure of financial literacy, which also confirmed our findings. The results emphasize the need for a formal financial education and social contact to boost financial literacy levels in Japan.