불안한 노년: 중국 실버타운의 위기로 보는 시장화된 돌봄 체계의 한계 = The Uncertain Old Age: The Limits of Marketized Care Systems Seen Through the Crisis of a Private Nursing Home in China

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This study explores the lives and futures of older adults who reside in a private nursing home within China’s marketized care system, based upon fieldwork carried out at a private nursing home in China from 2021 to 2022. Due to the government’s policy of privatizing eldercare, subsidies and tax benefits have encouraged the establishment of n ursing homes. Among the many p rivate f ac ilities that emerged, some have faced bankruptcy or management crises due to poor administration or fraud. The nursing home in this study also had a management crisis related to issues like COVID-19. Although elderly residents report feeling more stable than “other” older adults, the fundamentally unstable eldercare system is one in which the various forms of support for their lives and their middle-class identity is vulnerable t o sudden c ollapse. M oreover, m iddle-c lass o lder a dults with some purchasing power are at high risk of exposure to fraud.
Residents came to this nursing home seeking stability in their old age, yet now they face uncertainty. Their aging bodies increasingly impact their independent identities. While most residents can live independently with minimal assistance, they are considering returning to live with their children or in urban homes if they experience an irreversible illness. Ultimately, the middle-class identity crafted by older adults seems solid but remains in a state of chronic anxiety. Despite this, residents strive to overcome challenges using their lifetime of professional knowledge, sometimes even reinforcing their middle-class identity amid instability. This study highlights the limitations of market-based care systems through the instability faced by middle-class older adults, while also demonstrating how elderly residents continuously shape their identities despite these challenges.

국문 초록 (Abstract)

이 연구는 시장화된 돌봄 체계에서 사립 실버타운에서의 노후를 선택한 노인들의 삶과 미래를 고찰한다. 이를 위하여 연구자는 2021년부터 2022년까지 중국의 한 실버타운에서 현장 연구를 수행하였다. 중국 정부의 노인 돌봄 부분 민영화 정책으로 인하여, 실버타운 설립에 보조금 지급과 세제 혜택이 주어졌다. 이 시기 우후죽순 생겨난 사립실버타운 중 일부는 부실한 경영이나 사기로 인해 때때로 파산하거나 경영 위기를 겪기도 했다. 이 연구의 실버타운도 경영방식 및 코로나19 등의 문제로 경영 위기에 봉착하였다. 노인 거주자들의 삶이(그들이 말한 바에 따르면) “다른” 노인들보다 더 안정적일수 있다는 것이 사실일지라도, 노인 돌봄 체계가 근본적으로 불안정한 사회에서는 그들의 삶과 중산층 정체성을 지탱하는 다양한 조건들이 한순간에 무너질 수 있다. 게다가어느 정도의 구매력을 갖춘 중산층 노인들은 이러한 사기에 노출될 위험이 높다. 거주자들은 안정된 노년을 즐기기 위해 이 실버타운에 왔지만, 오히려 불안한 미래를 맞이할 상황에 처해 있었다. 또한, 점차 노화된 신체는 거주민들의 독립적인 정체성에 영향을 미친다. 이 실버타운의 거주민들 대부분은 약간의 도움만으로 생활할 수 있지만, 이들은 미래에 회복하기 힘든 병에 걸리게 된다면 자식의 곁이나 도심에 위치한 집으로돌아갈 생각을 하고 있었다. 결국, 노인 주민들이 만들어낸 중산층 정체성은 단단해 보이지만 실제로는 만성적인 불안 상태에 놓여 있다. 한편, 이러한 상황 속에서도 노인거주자들은 평생 축적한 전문 지식을 활용하여 이를 극복하려고 시도해 왔다. 그들은불안정한 상황 속에서 오히려 중산층 정체성을 강화하기도 했다. 이 연구는 중산층 노년의 불안정성을 통하여 시장 경제체제에 기반한 돌봄 체계의 근본적인 한계를 보여주는 동시에, 노인 거주자들이 불안정한 노년의 조건 속에서도 지속적으로 그들의 정체성을 형성해 나가는 측면 또한 보여준다.

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