Aging and the American Family: Who to Turn To?
When in need, most American elders turn to their families. Max finds that he needs help because of a health problem. He would rely on his spouse, but because of their deteriorating relationship, he cannot. Elders who live alone typically turn to their children, most often to the eldest daughter. This elder has no daughters, though—just one absent son who is a lot like his father and not likely to be of much help. The exchange theory of aging states that interaction in families is based on reciprocal balancing of rewards for good deeds performed for one another. That theory is somewhat hampered here: The aloof father never cared for his family emotionally, and now his family cant, or wont, help him. Like his father, David has problems with intimate relationships. He finds personal gratification in a successful career and an unattached sex life. So, David has no wife to help him care for his father. Gradually, however, he gains some insight into what went wrong in his parents relationshi
