Gender Differences in Spousal Care across the Later Life Course

• In Event: 264 - Section on the Sociology of the Family Paper Session. Demography of Families and Gender

Abstract

Spouses often serve as the primary caregivers to their ill or disabled partners. Studies have shown that men receive more care from their wives than vice versa, but few studies have focused on how the gender gap in care varies across the later life course. Drawing on data from the Health and Retirement Study, I examined the moderating effect of age and gender on married women’s and men’s receipt of help with activities of daily living from their spouses and daughters. I found that women were less likely than men to receive care from their spouses when they were in their 50s and early 60s. During this time, women were also more likely than men to receive care from their daughters. As women and men moved from middle-age (50 to 65) into older age, the gender gap in care diminished. These findings highlight the dynamic nature of gender and caregiving.

Author

• Rebecca Glauber, University of New Hampshire