Cultural priorities and elder care: the impact on women.

In this article I address the institutional and personal processes associated with providing and receiving elder care. Although cultural differences abound, it is argued that five conditions currently affect the social response to frail elders all around the world: (a) male dominance of political and economic social institutions; (b) elder care dependent on the "dirty work" of women; (c) limited and ambiguous social recognition for providing elder care; (d) the aging of population as a whole (i.e., the proportion of old people in the world is increasing; and (e) frail old women fare worse than do frail old men. Regardless of which institution (government, economic marketplace, or family) has assumed the responsibility for elder care, the decision-making role has been dominated by men, and household tasks have been disproportionately provided by women. Women's elder-care work is physically draining. It tends to be work for which the providers receive, even within cultural boundaries, what is considered to be inadequate compensation. Nevertheless, women continue to provide labors of duty and labors of love. What is truly remarkable is that so many women report that their efforts are emotionally and spiritually satisfying. However, increasingly researchers report that women also experience depression and burnout. I discuss the extent to which the five current conditions of elder care will impede the performance of elder care in the future.