‘What are Families For?’: On Family Solidarity and Preference for Help
- 1 March 1990
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Cambridge University Press (CUP) in Ageing and Society
- Vol. 10 (1), 1-15
- https://doi.org/10.1017/s0144686x00007820
Abstract
Norwegian elderly people today are clearly more aware of public help and services compared to the late 1960s, and a growing number of them prefer public rather than family help. A study in Oslo found that a majority would turn to the public services when in need of long-term help, even when children were living close by. Children or other informal helpers were preferred over the public services only when there was a need for short-term assistance. The growing preference for public help is taken primarily as a response to increased availability of public services, and not as a reflection of weaker inter-generational solidarity.Keywords
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