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Research project

Care networks in later life: A comparative study of five communities in Indonesia using ethnography and surveys

Project overview

How can the care needs of older people be met in sustainable, fair and culturally acceptable ways? This project aims to answer this question in relation to Indonesia, the world’s fourth largest population. It seeks to understand what care needs older Indonesians have; who provides care; what acceptable care looks like; and how care-dependent people are perceived. The project involves ethnographic research in five diverse communities, combined with collection of household survey data and analysis of existing national-level surveys. The research sites are located in West Sumatra, Jakarta, Yogyakarta, East Java, and Alor.
Three ideas are central to this study. First, we consider care a cultural practice: culture shapes preferences for care providers, what counts as acceptable care, and what being dependent does to a person’s social value and identity. This is why we use ethnography to situate care in its cultural context and compare ethnic groups across Indonesia. Second, care is provided by a mix of family, neighbours, health-care providers and volunteers. This is why we collect data on people’s complete care networks over time. Third, we understand that older people differ in terms of gender, wealth, and family networks. This is why we collect information on people’s economic, demographic and social status and compare care among sub-groups.
The project is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and led by Dr Elisabeth Schroeder-Butterfill at the University of Southampton. The project team includes Prof Yvonne Handajani (Atma Jaya Catholic University, Indonesia), Prof Eef Hogervorst (Loughborough University), Dr Philip Kreager (University of Oxford), Dr Nathan Porath (University of Southampton), Dr Pande Made Kutanegara (Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia), as well as Prof Tri Budi Rahardjo (Universitas Respati, Indonesia) and Caitlin Littleton (HelpAge International) as project consultants.

Staff

Lead researcher

Dr Elisabeth Schroeder-Butterfill

Head of Department

Research interests

  • Care in later life
  • Older people's social and support networks
  • Vulnerability

Collaborating research institutes, centres and groups

Research outputs

Hezti Insriani,
Budi Satriawan,
Yvonne Suzy Handajani,
& Ciptaningrat Larastiti
, 2023
Type: creativeMediaAndArtefact
Yvonne Suzy Handajani,
Hezti Insriani,
Florencia Yuniferti Sare,
Ciptaningrat Larastiti,
Benidiktus Delpada,
Robi Mitra,
Jelly,
Dyah Rahayuningtyas,
Nathan Porath,
Caitlin Littleton,
& Baralee Mesukh
, 2023
Type: creativeMediaAndArtefact
Caitlin Littleton,
Baralee Mesukh,
& Yvonne Suzy Handajani
, 2023
Type: workingPaper
Yvonne Suzy Handajani,
Eef Hogervorst,
Yuda Turana,
& Antoninus Hengky
, 2023 , International Journal of Neuroscience , 1--14
Type: article
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