The Pivotal Role of Women in Informal Care

Abstract

Supporting and caring for each other are crucial parts of the social tissue that binds people together. In these networks, men and women hold different positions: Women more often care more for others, listen more to the problems of others, and, as kin keepers, hold families together. Is this true for all life stages? And are social conditions, among other things bound to the organization of work and family, an essential explanation of these differences? Data from the sixth wave (1997) of the Panel Study of Belgian Households allow us to answer these questions. The results show that women are the glue holding social relations together. They play a central role as friends, daughters, sisters, mothers, and grandmothers throughout all stages of the life course. Similar life commitments do not reduce these gender differences but instead emphasize them even further.

Differences in suicide risk according to living arrangements in Japanese men and women – The Japan Public Health Center-based (JPHC) prospective study

“…Our result might be explained by a gender difference in the perception of social support provided by a spouse. In western countries, men are more likely than women to obtain emotional (Fuhrer and Stansfeld, 2002) and instrumental support (Kendler et al, 2001;Bracke et al, 2008) from their spouse. In the context of Japan also, sex role differentiation, which places men as the Table 2 Cox proportional hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals for suicide according to living arrangements.…”

The influence of education on differences in depressive symptoms between men and women in Slovenia

“…A special type of demand includes taking care of parents, children and partners: these are demands inscribed in the women's role as a counsellor -therapist -supplier. Women carry the expenses of nursing and taking care of others (25), or are overburdened by the social and emotional problems of others. Those demands can lead to physical, psychological and emotional exhaustion; depression is the result of the combined feeling of being overburdened and feeling that their work is underrated (26).…”

Men and Women Caring for Elderly Family Members

“…Podíl žen, které se věnují péči, ať už neformální, nebo formální sféře, podle dostupných mezinárodních dat výrazně převyšuje podíl mužů. Ženy častěji nežli muži nemají placené zaměst-nání, případně jsou ochotny se ho vzdát či snížit svou pracovní dobu právě z dů-vodu pečovatelských povinností [Bracke, Christiaens, Wauterickx 2008;Folbre, Shaw, Stark 2006;Guberman, Maheu, Maillé 1992].…”

“…Nejčastěji se péče ují-mají dospělé děti a životní partnerky či partneři seniora či seniorky (mezinárodní data se neshodují v rozložení). Muži zpravidla nejvíce péče přijímají od svých partnerek a manželek, zatímco o ženy častěji pečují jejich příbuzné ženského pohlaví -dcery či snachy [viz Abel 1990;Stark 2005;Bracke, Christiaens, Wauterickx 2008]. Muži také poskytují péči, ale méně často než ženy, pečují nižší počet hodin týdně a zaměřují se na jiné typy aktivit [Gerstel, Gallagher 2001], případně tak činí jen ve specifických okamžicích své životní dráhy [Arber, Gilbert 1989; v čes-kém prostředí Přidalová 2006].…”