Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-r5fsc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-20T06:55:42.914Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The division of parent care between spouses

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 November 2008

MAXIMILIANE E. SZINOVACZ  and
ADAM DAVEY
MAXIMILIANE E. SZINOVACZ*
Affiliation:
University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
ADAM DAVEY
Affiliation:
Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
*
Address for correspondence: Maximiliane Szinovacz, Gerontology Institute, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA 02125-3393, USA. E-mail: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Research on the division of family work has focused on household work and child-care to the exclusion of other domains, whereas studies on care-giving for older people typically ignore spouses' support to care-givers. In this paper we apply an approach that is typical of research on spouses' division of family work in caring for parents, in that the theoretical model focuses on the ‘cultural mandates’ that guide spouses' division of care, namely gender ideologies about appropriate roles, kinship obligations, and taboos against cross-gender personal care. Other predictors of the spousal division of care drawn from economic and health-care utilisation models are also examined. The analyses use pooled data on 1,449 care occasions from the first five waves of the US Health and Retirement Study. It was found that most couples to some extent share parent care, and that the involvement of husbands depended on a complex interplay of cultural mandates and contexts. Husbands participated most in personal care for parents if the care was mandated by kinship obligations (they cared more for their own than their wife's parents), and by cross-gender care taboos (they cared more for fathers than mothers). Other cultural contexts (such as race), a spouse's other commitments, health-related ability, resources (including support from the parents' other children), and care-burden also played a role. The findings demonstrate that decisions to care for parents emerge from complex negotiations among spouses and their children and siblings or, in other words, that parental care is a family endeavour.

Keywords

care-givingdivision of labourgender ideologyfilial obligation
Type
Research Article
Information
Ageing & Society , Volume 28 , Issue 4 , May 2008 , pp. 571 - 597
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2008

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Aiken, L. S. and West, S. G. 1991. Multiple Regression: Testing and Interpreting Interactions. Sage, Newbury Park, California.Google Scholar
Allen, S. M. 1994. Gender differences in spousal caregiving and unmet need for care. Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences, 49, 4, S187–95.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Altonji, J. G., Hayashi, F. and Kotlikoff, L. 1995. Parental Altrusim and Inter-Vivos Transfers: Theory and Evidence. Working Paper 5378. National Bureau of Economic Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Antonucci, T. C. 1990. Social supports and social relationships. In Binstock, R. H. and George, L. K. (eds), Handbook of Aging and the Social Sciences. Academic, New York, 205–27.Google Scholar
Arber, S. and Ginn, J. 1991. Gender and Later Life. Sage, London.Google Scholar
Barrett, A. and Lynch, S. 1999. Caregiving networks of elderly persons: variation by marital status. The Gerontologist, 39, 6, 695–704.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bittman, M., England, P., Folbre, N., Sayer, L. C. and Matheson, G. 2003. When does gender trump money? Bargaining and time in household work. American Journal of Sociology, 109, 1, 186–214.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bott, E. 1957. Family and Social Network. Free Press, New York.Google Scholar
Brines, J. 1994. Economic dependency, gender, and the division of labor at home. American Journal of Sociology, 100, 3, 652–88.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brody, E. M., Litvin, S. J., Albert, S. M. and Hoffman, C. J. 1994. Marital status of daughters and patterns of parent care. Journal of Gerontology, 49, 2, S95–103.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Burr, J. A. and Mutchler, J. E. 1999. Race and ethnic variation in norms of filial responsibility among older persons. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 61, 3, 674–87.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cagney, K. and Agree, E. 1999. Racial differences in skilled nursing care and home health use: motivating effects of family structure and social class. Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences, 54, 4, S223–36.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Calasanti, T. M. and Slevin, K. F. 2001. Gender, Social Inequalities, and Aging. Alta Mira Press, Walnut Creek, California.Google Scholar
Campbell, L. D. and Martin-Matthews, A. 2003. The gendered nature of men's filial care. Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences, 58B, 6, S350–58.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cancian, F. M. and Oliker, S. J. 2000. Caring and Gender. Alta Mira, Walnut Creek, California.Google Scholar
Cantor, M. 1991. Family and community: changing roles in an aging society. The Gerontologist, 31, 3, 337–46.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Carpenter, E. H. and Miller, B. H. 2002. Psychosocial challenges and rewards experienced by caregiving men: a review of the literature and an empirical case example. In Kramer, B. J. and Thompson, E. H. (eds), Men as Caregivers. Theory, Research, and Service Implications. Springer Publishing Company, New York, 99–126.Google Scholar
Checkovich, T. J. and Stern, S. 2002. Shared caregiving responsibilities of adult children with elderly parents. Journal of Human Resources, 37, 3, 441–78.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Coltrane, S. 2000. Research on household labor: modeling and measuring the social embeddedness of routine family work. Journal of Marriage and Family, 62, 4, 1208–33.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Coward, R. T. and Dwyer, J. W. 1990. The association of gender, siblings network composition, and patterns of parent care by adult children. Research on Aging, 12, 2, 158–81.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Davey, A. and Szinovacz, M. E. 2007. Division of care among adult children. In Davey, A. and Szinovacz, M. E. (eds), Caregiving Contexts. Cultural, Familial and Societal Implications. Springer Publishing Company, New York, 133–59.Google Scholar
Davis, S. N. and Greenstein, T. N. 2004. Cross-national variations in the division of household labor. Journal of Marriage and Family 66, 5, 1260–71.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
DiLeonardo, M. 1987. The female world of cards and holidays: women, families, and the work of kinship. Signs, 12, 3, 440–53.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dilworth-Anderson, P., Williams, I. C. and Gibson, B. E. 2002. Issues of race, ethnicity, and culture in caregiving research: a 20-year review (1980–2000). The Gerontologist, 42, 2, 237–72.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Engers, M. and Stern, S. 2002. Long-term care and family bargaining. International Economic Review, 43, 1, 73–114.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Evertsson, M. and Nermo, M. 2004. Dependence within families and the division of labor: comparing Sweden and the United States. Journal of Marriage and Family, 66, 5, 1272–86.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Finch, J. and Mason, J. 1993. Negotiating Family Responsibilities. Tavistock/Routledge, London.Google Scholar
Finley, N. J. 1989. Theories of family labor as applied to gender differences in caregiving for elderly parents. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 51, 79–86.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Finley, N. J., Roberts, M. D. and Banahan, B. F. 1988. Motivators and inhibitors of attitudes of filial obligation towards aging parents. The Gerontologist, 28, 73–8.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Franks, M. and Stephens, A. 1996. Social support in the context of caregiving: husbands' provision of support to wives involved in parent care. Journal of Gerontolology: Psychological Sciences, 51, 1, P43–52.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Franks, M. M., Pierce, L. S. and Dwyer, J. W. 2003. Expected parent-care involvement of adult children. Journal of Applied Gerontology, 22, 1, 104–17.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ganong, L. H. and Coleman, M. 2006. Obligations to stepparents acquired in later life: relationship quality and acuity of needs. Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences, 61B, 2, S80–8.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gerstel, N. and Gallagher, S. K. 2001. Men's caregiving: gender and the contingent character of care. Gender and Society, 15, 2, 197–217.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Greenstein, T. N. 2000. Economic dependence, gender, and the division of labor in the home: a replication and extension. Journal of Marriage and Family, 62, 2, 322–35.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Harris, D., Crilly, R., Stolee, P. and Ellett, F. 1999. Improving a system of care for elderly persons in rural areas. The Gerontologist, 39, 3, 362–7.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Henretta, J. C., Hill, M. S., Li, W., Soldo, B. J. and Wolf, D. A. 1997. Selection of children to provide care: the effect of earlier parental transfers. Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences, 52B, Special Issue 1, 110–9.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hooker, K., Manoogian-O'Dell, M., Monahan, D. J., Frazier, L. D. and Shifren, K. 2000. Does type of disease matter? Gender differences among Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease spouse caregivers. The Gerontologist, 40, 5, 568–73.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hooyman, N. R. and Gonyea, J. 1995. Feminist Perspectives on Family Care: Policies for Gender Justice. Sage, Thousand Oaks, California.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Horowitz, A. 1985. Sons and daughters as caregivers to older parents: differences in role performance and consequences. The Gerontologist, 25, 6, 612–7.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ingersoll-Dayton, B., Starrels, M. E. and Dowler, D. 1996. Caregiving for parents and parents-in-law: is gender important? The Gerontologist, 36, 4, 483–90.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Johnson, R. W. and Lo Sasso, A. T. 2000. The Trade-off Between Hours of Paid Employment and Time Assistance to Elderly Parents at Midlife. The Urban Institute, Washington DC.Google Scholar
Juster, F. T. and Suzman, R. 1995. An overview of health and retirement study. Journal of Human Resources, 30, S7–56.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kirsi, T., Hervonen, A. and Jylhä, M. 2000. A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do: husbands as caregivers to their demented wives: a discourse analytic approach. Journal of Aging Studies, 14, 2, 153–69.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kroska, A. 2004. Divisions of domestic work: revising and expanding the theoretical explanations. Journal of Family Issues, 25, 7, 900–32.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lawton, L., Silverstein, M. and Bengtson, V. L. 1994. Solidarity between generations in families. In Bengtson, V. L. and Harootyan, R. A. (eds), Intergenerational Linkages. Springer Publishing Company, New York, 19–42.Google Scholar
Lee, E., Spitze, G. and Logan, J. R. 2003. Social support to parents-in-law: the interplay of gender and kin hierachies. Journal of Marriage and Family, 65, 2, 396–403.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lee, G. R. 1992. Gender differences in family caregiving: a fact in search of a theory. In Dyer, J. W. and Coward, R. T. (eds), Gender, Families and Eldercare. Sage, London, 121–31.Google Scholar
Lee, G. R., Peek, C. W. and Coward, R. T. 1998. Race differences in filial responsibility expectations among older parents. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 60, 2, 404–12.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lewin-Epstein, N., Stier, H. and Braun, M. 2006. The division of household labor in Germany and Israel. Journal of Marriage and Family 68, 5, 1147–64.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Little, R. J. and Rubin, D. B. 1987. Statistical Analysis with Missing Data. Wiley, New York.Google Scholar
Lowenstein, A., Katz, R. and Gur-Yatish, N. 2007. Cross-national variations in elder care: antecedents and outcomes. In Szinovacz, M. E. and Davey, A. (eds), Caregiving Contexts: Cultural, Familial and Societal Implications. Springer Publishing Company, New York, 93–114.Google Scholar
Martin Matthews, A. and Campbell, L. D. 1995. Gender roles, employment, and informal care. In Arber, S. and Ginn, J. (eds), Connecting Gender and Ageing: A Sociological Approach. Open University Press, Buckingham, 129–43.Google Scholar
Matthews, S. H. and Rosner, T. T. 1988. Shared filial responsibility: the family as primary caregiver. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 50, 1, 185–95.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Merrill, D. M. 1993. Daughters-in-law as caegivers to the elderly: defining the in-law relationship. Research on Aging, 15, 1, 70–91.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Miller, B. and Guo, S. 2000. Social support for spouse caregivers of persons with dementia. Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences, 55, 3, S163–S72.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Montogomery, R. J. V. 1992. Gender differences in patterns of child-parent caregiving relationships. In Dwyer, J. W. and Coward, R. T. (eds), Gender, Families and Elder Care. Sage, London, 65–83.Google Scholar
Myers, S. M. and Booth, A. 1996. Men's retirement and marital quality. Journal of Family Issues, 17, 3, 336–58.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Orbuch, T. L. and Eyster, S. L. 1997. Divison of household labor among black couples and white couples. Social Forces, 76, 1, 301–32.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Peters-Davis, N., Moss, M. and Pruchno, R. 1999. Children-in-law in caregiving families. The Gerontologist, 39, 1, 66–75.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pillemer, K. and Suitor, J. J. 2006. Making choices: a within-family study of caregiver selection. The Gerontologist, 46, 4, 439–48.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rose-Rego, S. K., Strauss, M. E. and Symth, K. A. 1998. Differences in the perceived well-being of wives and husbands caring for persons with Alzheimer's disease. The Gerontologist, 38, 2, 224–30.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rossi, A. S. and Rossi, P. H. 1990. Of Human Bonding. Parent-Child Relations across the Life Course. Aldine de Gruyter, New York.Google Scholar
Sarkisian, N. and Gerstel, N. 2004. Explaining the gender gap in help to parents: the importance of employment. Journal of Marriage and Family, 66, 2, 431–51.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schafer, J. L. 1997. Analysis of Incomplete Multivariate Data. Chapman and Hall, London.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Shuey, K. and Hardy, M. A. 2003. Assistance to aging parents and parents-in-law: does lineage affect family allocation decisions? Journal of Marriage and Family, 65, 2, 418–31.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Silverstein, M., Conroy, S. and Gans, D. 2007. Commitment to caring: filial responsibility and the allocation of support by adult children to older mothers. In Szinovacz, M. E. and Davey, A. (eds), Caregiving Contexts: Cultural, Familial and Societal Implications. Springer Publishing Company, New York, 71–92.Google Scholar
Silverstein, M., Conroy, S. J., Wang, H., Giarrusso, R. and Bengtson, V. L. 2002. Reciprocity in parent-child relations over the adult life course. Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences, 57, 1, S3–13.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sorensen, A. and McLanahan, S. 1987. Married women's economic dependency, 1940–1980. American Journal of Sociology, 93, 3, 659–87.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stark, O. 1995. Altruism and Beyond: An Economic Analysis of Transfers and Exchanges Within Families and Groups. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
StataCorp 2005. State Statistical Software. Release 9. Stata Corporation, College Station, Texas.Google Scholar
Stephens, M. A. and Franks, M. M. 1995. Spillover between daughter's roles as caregiver and wife: interference or enhancement? Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences, 50B, P9–17.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stern, S. 1996. Measuring child work and residence adjustments to parents' long-term care needs. The Gerontologist, 36, 1, 76–87.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sudha, S. and Mutran, E. J. 1999. Ethnicity and eldercare: comparison of attitudes toward adult care homes and care by families. Research on Aging, 21, 4, 570–94.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Suitor, J. J. and Pillemer, K. 1994. Family caregiving and marital satisfaction: findings from a 1-year panel study of women caring for parents with dementia. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 56, 3, 681–90.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Suitor, J. J. and Pillemer, K. 1996. Sources of support and interpersonal stress in the networks of married caregiving daughters: findings from a 2-year longitudinal study. Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences, 51, 6, S297–306.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Szinovacz, M. E. 1977. Role allocation, family structure, and female employment. Journal of Marriage and Family, 39, 4, 781–91.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Szinovacz, M. E. 1996. Couple's employment/retirement patterns and perceptions of marital quality. Researchon Aging, 18, 2, 243–68.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Szinovacz, M. 2000. Changes in housework after retirement: a panel analysis. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 62, 78–92.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Szinovacz, M. E. 2003. Caring for a demented relative at home: effects on parent-adolescent relationships and family dynamics. Journal of Aging Studies, 17, 4, 445–72.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Szinovacz, M. E. 2007. Children in caregiving families. In Szinovacz, M. E. and Davey, A. (eds), Caregiving Contexts: Cultural, Familial and Societal Implications. Springer Publishing Company, New York, 161–90.Google Scholar
Szinovacz, M. E. and Davey, A. 2004. Honeymoons and joint lunches: effects of retirement and spouse's employment on depressive symptoms. Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences, 59B, 5, P233–45.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Walker, A. J., Pratt, C. C., Shin, H.-Y. and Jones, L. 1990. Motives for parental caregiving and relationship quality. Family Relations, 39, 1, 51–6.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wolf, D. A., Freedman, V. and Soldo, B. J. 1997. The division of family labor: care for elderly parents. Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences, 52B, Special Issue 1, 102–9.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wolff, J. L. and Kasper, J. D. 2006. Caregivers of frail elders: updating a national profile. The Gerontologist, 46, 3, 344–56.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed