module 8 Flashcards
Informal support
refers to various forms of help, ranging from emotional support to hands on personal care, provided by people that we know, primarily family but also friends and neighbours
formal support
Refers to the help provided by agencies, services, professionals and workers whose jobs are to supply particular forms of assistance
Intergenerational Family Transfers
emphasize the array of aid that generations provide one another, including money and in-kind goods, helping and housing
Perspectives on support exchanges
Transitions that heighten support needs disrupt usual routines and prompt change in how family members relate to one another
Ambivalence occurs in relationships marked by emotional closeness, regular contact and support exchanges and in those marked by conflict and discord
We usually receive forms of support in both informal and formal aspects
Self care through assisted devices like wheel chairs are the most common form of support for 65+ people who live alone – more likely a situation for females
Informal sources are more common among older adults living with others in a private residence, more common for men
Hierarchical-compensatory
assumes older persons have a hierarchy of favored relationship from whom all forms of support are sought. A spouse and children are at the top of the list, but if they are not available, substitutes, such as extended kin or neighbours can be found from lower on the list. These substitutes compensate for the preferred but unavailable ties. Favours tradition nucler family
Task-speciality
focuses on tasks rather than relationships. Posits that certain kinds of aid are best provided by ties with complimentary features. Ie/ help that requires proximity is best provided by a neighbour
Functional-specificity of relationships
more flexible in taking the view that a particular relationship can be negotiated in different ways. Ie/ sister may be an important resource for some, but not others. May change based on certain functions of the relationships
convoy
adds a dynamic view of social support. Network of persons to whom an individual is connected by the giving or receiving of support. As we move through life, the convoy changes as the nature of social exchanges shifts or as members join or leave the convoy.
Legitimate excuses
socially accepted reasons for being unable – not unwilling to provide help in certain situations
Advice to single children
who in return help parents more
Boomerang kids
refill the empty nest by returning home after leaving
According family
households around the world now shrink and expand based on the needs of younger adults. Those who are better off are more likely to go away for their education, working class adults are likely to stay home dependent on their parents.
Child Support to Older Parents
Support usually offered by daughters, especially if it is first born child and if they live close
Daughters also provide more care
Spouse support
more intensive among gay and lesbian couples
Sandwiched generation
those caught in the middle of caring for both their older parents (more often a mother) and their young children.
Elevated depression in transition of caring for a parent
some continue to experience after their role end
empty nest
period when children permanently leave the parental home, it is a normative event – a developmental phase faced in midlife
Midlife families
diverse stage of the life course that can span up to 30 years
Pivots
those in midlife may be involved in caregiving to their aging parents while helping their emerging adult children transition into adulthood (sandwich generation)
involved in navigating family relationships and the ambivalence that can arise during intergenerational life transition
