d) Increase in Geographic Mobility
Industrialization has brought about much higher geographical mobility of working people in general. In industrialized societies, people change their jobs much more frequently than before. Even when they remain in the same firm, employees are often forced to move to other industrial areas for various reasons. In such cases, aging parents tend to prefer to remain at the original residence rather than move to an unknown place with the child's family in order to continue to live together. Besides, in our industrialized areas, housing for workers is, generally speaking, not spacious enough for two or three generations to live together.
e) Increase of Working Middle-aged Women
Another conspicuous change is the growing number of working women. Because of the shortage in the male workforce, many married, middle-aged women who were once the most dependable caregivers of dependent older parents are now working outside their homes. In addition, the number of married women who are engaged in full-time professional jobs has been increasing significantly. These women seldom quit their jobs to take care of their aging parents as those with part-time and/or unskilled jobs frequently do.
f) Awakening of the Sense of Selfhood
The awakening of a sense of selfhood among the general public aroused by higher education, higher living standards, and the cultural influence of western industrialized countries has also played a very important role with regard to the change in living arrangements of the elderly in Japan. For example, these days an increasing number of both older and younger generations prefer to live separately from each other just for the sake of personal independence and freedom.
g) Decrease in the Number of Children
The number of children in Japan has decreased rapidly since 1950. As a result, persons with fewer children are now gradually entering the aged population. Obviously, when old people have fewer children, their chances of depending on them are reduced. This factor will make the need for services for old people, both community and institutional, more acute in the near future.
