Ageing and family in Asian society : future roles of our younger generations

Owing to a long-term decline in fertility and improvement in longevity, the rapid process of population ageing has become an emerging reality that challenges Asian society. Along with such transformations, the family in Asia is also experiencing unprecedented changes, in terms of its structure, function and value. Prof. Osaki addresses inevitable socio-demographic changes shaping the societies in Asia and calls attention to the needs to strengthen inter-generational solidarity. Using the framework of the United Nations World Programme of Action for Youth (WAPY), she stresses that the facilitation of interdependence between younger and older persons should be a prerequisite to meeting the challenges of ageing society and a condition for the development of society as a whole