ABSTRACT
As members of a global society that is the oldest in the history of the world, we recognize that much of the financial burden of supporting the old will be shouldered by younger workers. However, with fertility on a steady decline among industrialized societies and longevity on the rise, the challenge of the future may extend well beyond the question of who will pay for the elderly and how much. Often overlooked is the question of who will care for the elderly and for how long. As more women enter the job market in the midst of growing aging populations, the problem of balancing caregiving responsibilities between the family and the state will be exacerbated, as will the debate over the allocation of resources across generations. Discussed here is how the intergenerational equity debate has emerged in the United States and three European countries: France, Italy, and Germany. Also discussed is the future role of caregiving in 80general and the role of women in particular in light of ongoing major demographic changes. [Article copies available for a fee from The Haworth Document Delivery Service: 1-800-HAWORTH. E-mail address: <docdelivery@haworthpress.com> Website: <https://www.HaworthPress.com" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">https://www.HaworthPress.com> © 2005 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.]
