This study explored various dimensions of generational relationships between older parents and their adult children using the second wave of SHARE (Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe), comparing it to Dykstra's and Fokkema's (2011) analyses of the first wave. Results were further compared to the OASIS study (Old Age and Autonomy: The Role of Service Systems and Intergenerational Solidarity). The intergenerational solidarity model served as the main conceptual framework. Analyses yielded four family relationship types present in all countries, albeit with different frequencies. Around half of the respondents in the 11 countries were identified with close ties and flow of support. Four conclusions were drawn: (1) importance of personal resources; (2) cultural differences and meanings for families; (3) highlighting within-country difference; and (4) strength of intergenerational solidarity. The importance of understanding generational relationships in the current era with higher longevity and changing family structures is emphasized and explicated.

This study aims to identify future care preferences and examine the associations between personal resources, filial expectations, and family relations and the preferences of independent elderly Jews and Arabs aged 65 and over, using mixed methods. Data were collected using structured interviews of 168 Jews and 175 Arabs; additionally, 20 Jews and Arabs were interviewed in depth to enable more detailed analysis. The main findings show the effects of the modernization and individualization processes on elder preferences. Significant differences were found between Jews and Arabs for most variables. Whereas Jews' first preference was formal care, with mixed care following as second, Arabs preferred mixed care to other types. Differences in several factors associated with preference for mixed care were also noted, including in categories that were identified in the qualitative phase, such as 'dignity' versus 'honor' and the meaning of 'home'. Preferences for Care among Older Jews and Arabs | 103comprise 80 percent of the population, they constitute 94 percent of the older population. The Arab population is relatively young, with 3.5 percent over 65 but with a higher disability rate than in the Jewish population. In addition, in both groups, more than half of the older population are women (who number 53 percent of Arabs and 57 percent of Jews), and their disability rate is higher compared to men (Brodsky, Shnoor, and Be'er 2011).Life expectancy in Israel is among the highest in the world: 79.7 years for men and 83.5 years for women (among Arabs, life expectancy is three years lower on average). The increase in life expectancy raises the need for help and support in everyday life: about 24 percent of those aged 65 and older are disabled, according to the Activities of Daily Living (ADL) scale, whereas among the corresponding Arab elderly population, there is a higher disability rate than among elderly Jews (45.4 percent versus 21.8 percent, respectively) (Brodsky, Shnoor, and Be'er 2011). Most of the elderly live in the community, and the institutionalization rate is very low (3.3 percent).Such changes have major implications for care arrangements. The falling percentage of young people, together with the increased participation of women in the labor market, means that there are fewer family members and caregivers to provide older people with care. As a result, finding new ways to balance between family-and state-provided care has become a challenge (Lowenstein and Katz 2010). New questions have arisen: What are the preferences of the elderly for care in time of need? Which factors are associated with these preferences? What is the desirable balance between informal and formal care? And what are the implications of the preferences for families and society? Care Perspective theoriesThree theoretical frameworks were developed to explain care preferences: the hierarchical compensatory model, the substitution approach, and the complementary model. The hierarchical compensatory model, found in more traditional societies, pr...

The aim of the current qualitative study was to explore the perceptions of older Jews and Arabs on intergenerational family relations. Interviews were conducted with 20 men and women, 10 in each group, ages 65 and older. Five themes emerged from the analysis of the interviews: family is the major component of meaning of life; two dimensions of intergenerational relations: solidarity and ambivalence; intergenerational communication; filial expectations; and home and family as sources of honor and respect. Similarities and differences between the two groups were identified and explained, using modernization theory and cultural context.

The study examined employers' knowledge of and attitudes toward working carers who care for aging family members. The study was based on the ecological model. One hundred employers were interviewed using structured questionnaires and 13 employers by additional in-depth interviews. Both research instruments included areas of disruption to the organization, existing policies, and feasibility as to developing appropriate policies to support working carers. Results show that caregiving caused a disruption in workers' functioning mainly by being absent, leaving work early, and coming to work late. Usually, there was "no policy," and half of the employers did not support introducing such a policy. Women managers in public organizations, who had less seniority and less previous experience with working-carers, tended to be more positive about supportive policies. Recommendations are included.