Intergenerational support and family composition of elderly households in Cuba
James W. McNally, University of Michigan
Lindy Williams, Cornell University
As a consequence of both its political and economic isolation, only limited research been done on demographic trends in Cuba. Even less has been done on family composition, particularly regarding care giving and other intergenerational exchanges among the elderly households. Using data recently collected as part of the broader PAHO initiative that examines the lives of the elderly in Latin America, this paper presents a demographic analysis of intergenerational support patterns among the elderly in Cuba. Looking at both economic and in-kind exchange patterns this paper presents analysis on how the composition of elderly households impacts giving patterns and levels of support, and how the health of the elderly and their ability to contribute to household economies impacts both the intensity of support they receive and their power or status within the household itself. The paper offers a unique opportunity to expand our understanding of this rarely studied population.
Presented in Poster Session 4