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Gender, Marriage, and Expectations for Personal Care

State University of New York, Albany, gds01{at}cas.albany.edu

Russell Ward

State University of New York, Albany, raw84{at}csc.albany.edu

Among other benefits of marriage, spouses are particularly well suited for providing sick or personal care due to proximity and motivation. Yet, spouse care may vary by gender: Women are less likely to be married, especially at older ages, and personal care may be associated with traditional gender expectations. Using data for a representative sample of middle-aged and older persons, this article poses two questions. First, who is expected, by married and unmarried men and women, to provide personal care? Second, how does the gender of the individual or of children structure expectations for care? For married persons, particularly in high-quality marriages, spouses are likely care providers. However, for women, spouse help is less reliably available, and other sources, particularly children, are more available. Unmarried persons are more likely to mention "no one" and have a wider variety of expected sources of sick care, but children are the modal choice.

Research on Aging, Vol. 22, No. 5, 451-469 (2000)
DOI: 10.1177/0164027500225001


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