Introduction: Gender and Aging

Abstract

This volume focuses on gendered differences in the economic resources of the elderly and the individuals charged with meeting the day-to-day care needs of the elderly. Often the burden of care falls on women, who themselves have less access to care as they age. The introduction gives an overview of the public policy initiatives, social insurance and welfare programs, and family provisions for care that are thoroughly examined in the following contributions. The volume highlights both cross-national contrasts and common challenges to meeting the economic and care needs of the growing elderly population.

Keywords:

• Caregiving
• eldercare
• poverty
• public policy

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This volume has been a collaborative effort by the editors, the journal Feminist Economics, and the International Association for Feminist Economics. The journal's rigorous reviewing process, aided by the thoughtful and unpaid work of many reviewers, has greatly contributed to the quality of this volume. Diana Strassmann, the journal's editor, assembled the editorial team, helped write the funding proposal, and provided superb managerial oversight. The editorial staff of Feminist Economics, particularly Raj Mankad, Cheryl Morehead, Mo´nica Parle, and Eva Chan, and the journal's graduate fellows, Anne Dayton, Jill Delsigne, and Victoria Ford, assisted with a myriad of important tasks, including checking that each article conformed to the journal's editorial policies and was clear to the journal's diverse and interdisciplinary audience. Special thanks also to the journal's style editors, Polly Koch and Polly Morrice. Finally, we thank Rice University and the Swedish International Development Agency for their financial support.

Notes

JEL Codes: H55, I31, I38, J14, J16

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Nancy Folbre

JEL Codes: H55, I31, I38, J14, J16