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Family Care of the Elderly: Underlying Assumptions and their Consequences

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 November 2010

Jane Aronson
Jane Aronson
Affiliation:
University of Toronto
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Abstract

Through a review of the literature, this article explores the debate between the traditional perspective that conceives it as natural that families take care of their elderly members when frail or in need and an emerging critique of this view. The critique exposes the invisible divisions of caring work between men and women and between public and private arenas, and challenges the comfortable imagery of ‘family care.’ The implications of this analysis for the future are considered, both for constructive changes in social policies and for the reformulation of assumptions on which research and practice with the frail elderly and their families are based.

Résumé

Par le truchement d'une recension de la littérature spécialisée, nous examinons le débat qui oppose le point de vue traditionnel—selon lequel il semble naturel que les families prennent en charge leurs membres âgés devenus faibles ou nécessiteux—et la critique de ce point de vue. Cette dernière dénonce l'invisible partage des charges entre les hommes et les femmes ainsi qu'entre le domaine public et le domaine privé; elle remet en question l'image rassurante des «soins donnés par la famille». Nous présentons certaines implications de cette analyse pour l'avenir, tant au point de vue des changements à apporter aux mesures sociales qu'à la reformulation des présupposés sur lesquels reposent la recherche et la clinique intéressant les personnes âgées affaiblies et leurs famille.

Type
Articles
Information
Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement , Volume 4 , Issue 3 , September 1985 , pp. 115 - 125
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Association on Gerontology 1985

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