ABSTRACT
Material family support for older people in Ghana is declining, exposing increasing numbers to destitution and poverty and highlighting the urgent need for policy responses. A key requirement for such policy devel opment, however-a solid understanding of the factors and processes that have underpinned this decline-is so far lacking. The two explanations put forward in the literature-blaming, on the one hand, "modernization" and weakening traditional norms and, on the other, the worsening eco nomic situation in Ghana-are conceptually and epistemologically lim ited and fail to provide a sound understanding of why and how the decline has come about. Building on a detailed analysis of the existing explanations, and a brief illustration of the main findings of an empirical investigation undertaken in Accra, Ghana, this chapter develops a fuller understanding of the nature, causes, and consequences of the decline.
