Joanne Tan

Room 249, Hughes Building Phone Fax +61 (08) 8303 3770 joanne.tan@adelaide.edu.au

Area of Research

Ageing and Cross-culture.

Psychology Research Interests

To explore the effects of migration on migrants who are ageing in Australia, their thoughts on what it means to age well and their future care plans. To determine whether the family is still the preferred option when it comes to care of the elderly as it traditionally once was, looking at the preservation or abandonment of their cultural values upon immigration and settlement in Australia.

To understand how Chinese immigrants adapt to the Australian culture by examining the level of acculturation and how it may be associated with older people’s interpretation of ageing well, their preferences and expectations of future care.

Research Project

The current study looks at culturally based differences between Chinese-Australians and Anglo-Australians aged 55 and over. Semi-structured interviews will be conducted and questionnaires assessing demographics, filial norms and self-perceived reverence for the elderly will be administered. Thematic content of the interviews will be identified and discussed. The aim of the study is to ascertain the factors that shape the meaning of old age in the context of migration, and to gain insight into expectations and preferences of care in old age.