Familization risks, defamilization risks and older women

ABSTRACT

This article is about the familization and defamilization risks faced by older women. Such risks are generated by the lack of one or both of two conditions: the freedom to choose whether or not to perform certain family roles; and the capacity to maintain a reasonable standard of living. Examples are drawn from findings of a qualitative study in Hong Kong, in which 40 older women aged 65 or above were interviewed to discuss their experiences of issues relating to the risks and their diverse preferences of how these issues should be handled.

KEYWORDS:

• Defamilization
• familization
• older women

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the journal reviewers for their insightful comments which have helped to improve the article in many ways.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. The focus of the study of supply-side issues is on the suppliers (such as the welfare regimes). This study examines the types and extents of support the suppliers offer to women to tackle the threats to their welfare.

2. The focus of the study of the demand-side issues is the users of the support offered by the welfare regimes. This study explores the needs of the users of the supports, their different responses to the threats to their welfare, and their preferences for different kinds of support. Some studies concerning defamilization and familization, such as those by Giullari and Lewis (2005) and Lewis and Giullari (2006) have discussed individuals’ responses to the threat to their welfare. There are far fewer studies focusing on the individuals receiving support than there are focusing on support provided by the welfare regimes.

3. In 1997 Hong Kong was reintegrated into China as a Special Administration Zone.

4. The Hong Kong government allows families in Hong Kong to employ foreign domestic helpers from countries such as Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand. They are usually referred to as “maids” by the employers. In 2017, there were about 370,000 foreign domestic helpers in the territory (Census and Statistics Department, 2018).

Additional information

Funding

Part of the work has received funding from the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 708305.