Intergenerational family relationships of older women in central Minnesota

Abstract

This paper applies the family lifecourse perspective to the lives of rural older women in the Midwestern United States based on the findings of the Rural Older Women’s Project, an ethnographic study of the daily lives and systems of support of 30 women. The focus is on the relationships with children, grandchildren, and parents if they are still living, of rural older women in central Minnesota. Three case studies are used to demonstrate the full range of circumstances. From those who are still actively providing support and assistance to their own parents, children, and grandchildren, to those who are primarily the recipients of care and support, to those who are unable to receive the necessary assistance from their family system. These variations are significant in terms of the ways in which each of them face the increasing needs which often come with ageing.