Definition
Intergenerational family caregiving refers to exchanges up and down family lines aimed at nurturing the needs of others (See “Intergenerational Exchange and Support”). Caregiving is more than a task; it involves emotional and relationship work (See “Caregiving and Social Support – Similarities and Differences”, “Social Support”).
Overview
Feminist theorists have emphasized the need to recognize caregiving – the unpaid activities aimed at serving the physical and emotional needs of dependent children and adults – as a defining feature of women’s lives (Finch and Groves 1983; Goldscheider et al. 2015). Comparative welfare state scholars have emphasized that caregiving responsibilities are divided in varying ways between the state, market, voluntary sector, and families (Evers 1993). A focus on differences in...
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Dykstra, P.A. (2019). Intergenerational Family Caregiving in Welfare Policy Context. In: Gu, D., Dupre, M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Gerontology and Population Aging. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-69892-2_21-1
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