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Migrant Intergenerational Lived Experiences of Successful Ageing

In individualistic societies, successful ageing is often framed in terms of personal achievement, autonomy, and independence. However, this linear and predominantly biomedical understanding has been widely critiqued for overlooking the social and cultural dimensions of ageing. Emerging research highlights that successful ageing is shaped by cultural values, social contexts, and subjective interpretations, and should therefore be understood through individuals’ self-identified meanings and lived experiences.

Our research shows that older Vietnamese migrants’ perceptions of successful ageing are influenced by the intersecting cultural contexts of both their country of origin and their host society. While Western contexts tend to emphasise individual autonomy, self-reliance, and personal rights, many Asian cultural traditions place greater value on social connectedness, intergenerational care, and respect within family and community structures.

These differing cultural frameworks raise important questions about how migrants from collectivist backgrounds negotiate and reinterpret successful ageing within individualistic societies. This study aims to examine these dynamics across generations, providing deeper insight into the diverse and evolving understandings of successful ageing among Vietnamese migrants in Australia.

This project builds on Hien Thi Nguyen’s PhD research conducted at UWA and has been further developed with support from the Edith Cowan University School of Arts and Humanities Research Funding.

Funding Agency

  • Edith Cowan University School of Arts and Humanities Research Funding

Project Duration

August 2022 – November 2025

Publications

  • Nguyen, H., Baldassar, L., Wilding, R., & Jones, B. (2025). Social Relational Notions of Successful Ageing: Contesting Dominant Individualised Conceptions of Successful Ageing By Examining Migrant Intergenerational Lived Experiences. The Gerontologist, 65(1). https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnae171
  • Nguyen, H. T., Baldassar, L., & Wilding, R. (2023). Successful Ageing: The Novel Perspectives and Experiences of Vietnamese Migrants in Australia. In T. Chun Tat Shum & C. C. L. Kwong (Eds.), Housing and Ageing Policies in Chinese and Global Contexts: Trends, Development, and Policy Issues (pp. 53-77). Springer Nature Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-5382-0_4

Researchers

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