Intergenerational conflicts about social equity, expectations and obligations: lessons from the United States

"Justice across generations" has become a policy issue throughout the Western-industrial world during the past decade. Debate about intergenerational equity involves the distribution of resources and obligations across age groups and generations. Our analysis suggests that debate centres around five specific issues: (1) Conceptual confusions between age groups and family generations; (2) disagreements over the meaning of "equity"; (3) arguments about whether supporting the old is an unbearable public cost; (4) differing opinions about familial expectations, obligations and burdens; and (5) discrepancies between media coverage and empirical evidence on intergenerational relations. While these issues first surfaced in the United States, it can be expected that such disputes will arise in many other nations with similar economic environments, demographic profiles, and public sentiment regarding welfare and entitlement spending. We conclude by examining the potential for increased intergenerational solidarity as an outcome of discussions about equity

Gerontology Community Study, June 1974 (M905V1)

This study was designed to identify the values, activities, and needs of people age 45-75, living in the Los Angeles, CA area. There are approximately 90 variables. Specific variables include: length of LA residence, own or rent, registered to vote or not, political party affiliation, voted or not in the 1972 election, political participation, political efficacy, problems of greatest importance today, attitudes toward government agencies, use of housing funds, choice of residence, factors affecting living place; live near similar or different types of people, live near own or all ages, responsibility for housing aged, problems in housing, presence of: heating, ventilation, hot water, telephone in home, number of rooms in home, attitudes toward aging, attitudes towards actions of protestors, employment status, industry, employee or self-employed, length of time at job, job worked at longest, attends pre-retirement courses, reason rehired, husband: employment status, job title, industry, employed or self-employed, job worked at the longest; union membership, job discrimination, number of children, frequency seeing children, number of grand-children, frequency seeing grandchildren, retired status, number of living relatives, frequency seeing relatives, plans for living and finances if incapacitated, frequency seeing friends, satisfaction with contact with family and friends, involvement in senior organizations, attitudes toward death, possess current driver's license, availability of car, means of transportation, use of bus, problems using public transportation, attitudes toward aging, health status, problems in receiving health treatment, health insurance, Medi-care, Medi-Cal, discrimination for age, race, nationality, well-being, year of brith, year of spouse's birth, place of birth, educational attainment, religion, income from Social Security, income (amount), number of dependents, retirement pension(s), financial well-being, physical condition, sex, housing type. The data represent information on individual respondents. Data and documentation are supplied in the same form received from the Survey Research Center (SRC). Documentation includes: codebook, questionnaire, and interviewer instructions.</p