Global Leadership and Problem-Solving- Eldercare in China, Class-Wide Capstone
Term
Subject Area
Course Number
IMPA 609 001
Course Code
IMPA609001
Course Key
73601
Instructor
Dilulio, John J.
Primary Program
Course Description
According to World Bank estimates, todays Peoples Republic China (PRC) is home to about 220 million people age 60 and over, and that number is expected to rise to 400 million by the year 2040. Estimates vary regarding how much larger Chinas under age 40 population would be today if the one-child policy had not gone into effect when and as it did. But nobody doubts that the policy significantly altered the nations demography, or that most of todays Chinese young adults face a 4-2-1 family structure. While the norm of filial piety remains strong, almost sacred, the PRCs government leaders and ministers, and average Chinese citizens, have recognized that relying on children as the primary caregivers for elders in Chinese society is highly desirable but simply no longer as feasible as it once was.In the class-wide capstone, students will explore the following topics: Does Chinas burgeoning elderly population pose a serious problem and constitute a major threat to human well-being? What role have various Chinese institutionsfamilies, community/neighborhood associations, NGOs, businesses, and governance bodiesplayed in addressing the nations elder care challenges? What have leading governance bodies defined and proclaimed the problem? How to balance between home-based or community-based healthy aging in place, on the one side, and nursing homes, assisted living facilities? What solutions afforded by other nations can be adopted in the Chinese context, financially and culturally?
Subject Area Vocab