Case Study
Zhang Wei and Yu Yan were married on a crisp autumn day in Calgary, Alberta. Zhang Wei’s parents were in attendance and eager to welcome their son’s bride and new Canadian into their family. The two met while Zhang Wei was visiting Yu Yan’s cousin, a member of the church congregation. Yu Yan at 35 years old, and sponsored by her cousin, arrived in Canada not long before their meeting. Yu Yan can still remember that first cold day in Canada, “It was unlike anything I have ever experienced. I’ve never been so cold! I had to rush to the store to buy my first winter jacket. I remember it was blue and had fur trim around the hood. They called it a parka.” Yu Yan recalls meeting Zhang Wei for the first time, “He had a mischievous twinkle in his eye and such a kind smile. I laughed when he tried to talk to me, as he spoke Chinese with a Canadian accent. He had been born in Canada you see and not an immigrant like myself. Just one year later and we were married.” That was now more than 45 years ago.
The two built a life in Calgary. Zhang Wei, a trained electrician, took over the family business and Yu Yan cared for their two young daughters. “I didn’t have many options for work, you see. My education from China was not recognized and I could only speak a few words in English. It was also very important to me that our daughters be raised following the traditional ways of our culture. I used to scold Zhang Wei for speaking English with the girls when they were young.”
Of course, the girls were all grown up now and Yu Yan marvelled at the women that they had become. Both with families of their own, their visits were not nearly as frequent as Yu Yan would like. “I think the girls do not appreciate what I teach their children when they are here. I take away their phones and make them learn our language and cultural traditions. They turn their noses up at traditional Chinese foods!”
At 65 years old, Zhang Wei was getting tired of the long hours that go into running the business and since neither of the daughters wanted to take over, they felt it was best if they sell it. One of the conditions of the sale was that Zhang Wei be allowed to remain employed. He was in good health, felt he could offer much expertise, and wanted to continue to contribute to the business and the community he loved. Besides, they were still paying on their home mortgage and had not yet built their retirement savings as much as they would have liked. He knew that the social expectation surrounding retirement at 65 years was changing and many of Zhang Wei’s friends were still working in their seventies.
One night as Zhang Wei was finishing up some work in the office, he overheard the new owners talking about how they wanted to hire a younger electrician but could not afford to do so because Zhang Wei was still employed. “The aging population today is exploding. What do they call it? Oh, the ‘silver tsunami’. I’ve heard they are taking jobs that belong to younger workers! And Zhang Wei cannot even keep up with the latest technology. Why doesn’t he just retire like he is supposed to and collect a pension. Of course, we are paying for them to retire and when it is time for us to retire there will be no Old Age Pension left!”
Zhang Wei couldn’t believe what he was hearing. After that night, Zhang Wei received fewer and fewer work orders to complete and with the introduction of a new invoicing system and no support to assist in how to use the system, he felt his time at work had come to an end. At age 69, with a mortgage still to pay and too little in the bank, he retired and put his electrician’s tools away for good.
Soon after retiring, Zhang Wei’s health began to decline. He spent more and more time inside the house wandering from room to room disoriented. Yu Yan contacted her daughters for help to navigate the healthcare system and book the necessary appointments for her husband. “I have such a hard time talking on the telephone girls. You know my English skills are not good.” After many tests and an appointment with a specialist they discovered that Zhang Wei had Alzheimer’s.
Both daughters believed their father should be placed in a long-term care centre where he could receive round the clock care. “Mum, you can’t possibly care for Dad on your own. You know you do not have extra money to pay for all the support you would need to care for him at your house. Plus, we just cannot help care for Dad as we have young children to raise and careers to build.” Yu Yan was adamant that her husband should remain at home and be cared for by his family. “I just do not like the idea of others caring for Zhang Wei. It is our responsibility and honour to care for him. You know that girls! I raised you to respect and care for family until the end.”
Yu Yan cared for her husband in their home as best as she could. Her daughters visited when they could get away from their work and families. But as Zhang Wei’s condition worsened Yu Yan decided to sell their home so she could pay for long-term care for him. Struggling to make the payments, Yu Yan had to economize and so moved into a small shared living arrangement close by so she could visit her husband every day. “He still has mischief in his eyes and such a kind smile, my Zhang Wei.”
- Read through the case study (document provided in D2L). As you read, identify the main issues presented. The main issues are consistent with topics discussed in the module readings (i.e., social change and diversity). Reflecting on the required readings, select relevant sociological concepts and theories that you can use to explain the main issues.
- Create a concept map that shows how the concepts/theories relate to one of the issues evident in the case study. A concept map is a way to visually organize information. It allows us to see relationships and information easily without focusing on written texts. Your concept map will be assessed with the following criteria:
A. Identification of concepts and theories from module 3 readings (Nodes). Include the name of the concept/theory and a brief description. (2 points)