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Chapter Eleven
The Elderly and Their Families
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The Modernization of Old Age Mortality Decline
Life expectancy increases Higher for whites than non-whites
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Social Consequences Profound change in relations with
children and grandchildren Elderly population defined = 65
years of age and older young old = 65-74 old-old = 75-84 oldest old = 85 and over
Gerontologists are social/biological scientists who study the elderly
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Fertility Decline Fertility = the number of births in a
population Falling fertility rates Falling mortality rates
Finished raising children before grandchildren arrive
Horizontal relationships have shrunk Vertical ties have increased Watershed age when parents die is 50
Parents and children’s lives overlap by about 50 years
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Rising Standard of Living 1960 - 35% below poverty line;
today less than 9.7% among older Americans
Reduction mainly due to Social Security program older-old more likely to be poor women more likely to be poor non-whites, poorer than whites
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Tweeners = the group of elderly people who have incomes that place them between the poor, who get public assistance, and the middle class, who supplement their SS checks with savings and pensions Medicare = government program of health
insurance for elderly Medicaid = government program of health
insurance for people below poverty line
Rising Standard of Living
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Rising Standard of Living Social Consequences
Because of better economic status, older persons are less likely to be dependent on their children
Historically, intergenerational cooperation was more common than it is today
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Separate Living Arrangements Increased Independence
Elderly more likely to live alone Living arrangements
alone with a spouse with another relative with non-relatives
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Gender Differences in Living Arrangements Living alone (more likely to be a
woman) More likely to be widowed due to spouse’s
death Fewer men available
Living with spouse (more likely to be a man)
More likely to be married - fewer elderly men than women in population
Separate Living Arrangements
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Separate Living Arrangements Cultural Underpinnings
Independence deeply rooted in Western nations
Today, elderly still want to head own household
Want “intimacy at a distance” Reduces contact between elderly and kin
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Dying and Death Changes in life expectancy have altered
ways in which families experience dying and death Grandparents more likely to die than
mothers or children Elderly men that lose their wives have
difficultly maintaining household tasks Breadwinner-homemaker models did not provide
“training” Elderly women may have financial challenges
May have less income from Social Security May not have experience handling finances
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Quality of Intergenerational Ties Contact - frequency parents and
children see each other or are in contact by phone or email
Affinity - how emotionally close parents and children feel and how much they agree on values, attitudes, and beliefs
Assistance - amount of assistance in time, goods, or money that parents and children provide each other
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Contact 3/4 lived within minutes of children 2/3 saw at least one of children weekly 70% saw grandchild within last week Geographical distance between
generation – strong impact on relationships Illustrates strength and vulnerability of
grandparent-parent-grandchild relationship
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Mother-daughter Relationships and Family Culture Closeness of grandparents is tied to
relationship with mother of grandchild Kin-keeping work done primarily by
women
Contact
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Affinity
Greater degree of love and affection - previous generations seen more as caretakers = emotional distance Studies report a greater degree of
warmth and emotional closeness
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Demographic and Economic Change Easier today for grandparents to have a
pleasurable, emotion-laden relationship More likely to live long enough Aren’t still raising own children Ability to travel long distances Fewer grandchildren, more economic
resources
Affinity
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Shared Values Agreement between/among generations
about values, attitudes, beliefs 69% said similar to mothers 60% said similar to fathers
Cohort replacement model A model of changing public opinion in which
each successive birth cohort experiences a different social environment and retains distinctive opinions throughout their adult life
Affinity
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Assistance “Average American woman spends
17 years raising children and 18 years helping aging parents” – cover of Newsweek
Mutual assistance Works both ways - assistance reciprocal Sandwich generation - women providing
most of the care
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Care of the Disabled Women are the kinkeepers
Having a daughter is the key to receiving support
Not only provide a service to family, but to public
Keeping family members out of nursing homes Help with activities of daily living (ADL) These limitations did not put people in nursing
homes - most were still cared for at home
Assistance
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Assistance
Women in the middle 80% of care for disabled living in the
community is provided by relatives, mainly women
With more women working, how will this change?
Women may also be asked to help their children
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Mothers and daughters most likely to be close
Next, fathers and daughters Last, sons and mothers or fathers When parents were divorced,
solidarity was weaker
Variability of Intergenerational Ties
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Implications for the Future What will happen to
Noncustodial fathers? Never-married fathers? Stepfathers? Biological fathers they grew up with?
Elderly men will have to rely on their current wives for care
Fewer women who are economically independent will marry elderly men who need care-giving
Variability of Intergenerational Ties
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Are They Really Happy?
Indications are that elderly really do prefer to live alone
In previous generations, household held together by economic hardship
Opportunity for independence and drive for self-fulfillment are now primary