Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-dlnhk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-23T19:38:16.539Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Familial Support of the Elderly in a Rural Mennonite Community

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 November 2010

John B. Bond Jr. ,
Carol D.H. Harvey  and
Elizabeth A. Hildebrand
John B. Bond Jr.
Affiliation:
University of Manitoba
Carol D.H. Harvey
Affiliation:
University of Manitoba
Elizabeth A. Hildebrand
Affiliation:
University of Manitoba
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

With an increasing number of persons entering old age and having longer life expectancies, there has been a consequent alteration of family dynamics, such that middle aged individuals frequently provide support to their older parents. At the same time, the middle aged person is often in the midst of raising his or her own children, attending to personal aspirations, and enacting the role of spouse.

This study investigated support from middle aged offspring to elderly parents in a rural Mennonite community. Information on the expectation for and consequences of support to parents was gathered from pastors and middle aged family members in two Mennonite conferences, as well as from a Lutheran sample with a similar historical background.

Pastoral interviews showed no differences in doctrinal beliefs regarding familial care of parents, although the institutional church responses varied. Middle aged offspring in the Lutheran congregation reported less involvement in religious practice than did members of either Mennonite congregation. Burden of caring for elderly parents felt by middle aged people showed no statistically significant differences between congregations; however, greater reported religiosity was associated with lesser burden.

Résumé

Les fibres mêmes de la famille semblent présentement atteintes à cause de l'augmentation du nombre des personnes qui atteignent le troisième âge et qui vivent plus longtemps. En effet, plusieurs personnes d'âge moyen sont appelées à prendre la charge de leurs parents tout en éduquant leurs propres enfants, en échelonnant leurs buts et leurs objectifs et en jouant le rôle de conjoint.

Cette étude est consacrée au soutien qu'accorde cette tranche d'âge moyen de la société aux parents, dans une communauté rurale mennonite. L'ouvrage est basé sur des données recueillies par des pasteurs et des parents d'âge moyen dans deux communautés mennonites ainsi que dans un petit secteur luthérien, religion qui embrasse une tradition culturelle analogue. Les chercheurs se sont concentrés sur les causes et les conséquences d'un tel soutien parental.

Les entrevues pastorales n'ont révélé aucune différence philsophique au niveau des soins parentaux tandis que les réponses provenant du clergé étaient variées. La progéniture luthérienne a signalé une participation moins prononcée dans les activités religieuses que son homologue mennonite. Aucune distinction de statistique n'à été relevée entre ces groupes au niveau du poids ressenti face à ces responsabilités, Toutefois, les plus fervents ont mentionné que leur fardeau semblait plus facile à supporter.

Keywords

religionfamilyruralelderly
Type
Articles
Information
Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement , Volume 6 , Issue 1 , Spring/printemps 1987 , pp. 7 - 17
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Association on Gerontology 1987

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Archbold, P.G. (1983). Impact of parent-caring on women. Family Relations, 7, 39–48.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Baruch, G., & Barnett, R.C. (1983). Adult daughters' relationships with their mothers. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 45, 601–606.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bengtson, V.L. (1975). Generation and family effects in value socialization. American Sociological Review, 40, 358–371.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bengtson, V.L., Furlong, M.J., & Laufer, R.S. (1974). Time, aging, and the continuity of social structure: Themes and issues in generational analysis. Journal of Social Issues, 30, 1–30.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bengtson, V.L., & Kuypers, J.A. (1971). Generational difference and the developmental stake. Aging and Human Development, 3, 249–260.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brody, E.M. (1970). The etiquette of filial behavior. Aging and Human Development, 1, 87–94.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brody, S.J., Poulshock, S.W., & Masciocchi, C.F. (1978). The family caring unit: A major consideration in the long-term support system. The Gerontologist, 18, 556–561.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chalfant, H.P., Beckley, R.E., & Palmer, C.E. (1981). Religion in contemporary society. Sherman Oaks: Alfred Publishing Co.Google Scholar
Cicirelli, V.G. (1981). Helping elderly parents: The role of adult children. Boston: Auburn House.Google Scholar
Cicirelli, V. G. (1983). Adult children's attachment and helping behavior to elderly parents: A path model. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 45, 815–826.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Driedger, L. (1974). Doctrinal belief: A major factor in the differential perception of social issues. The Sociological Quarterly, 15, 66–80.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Driedger, L., Currie, R., & Linden, R. (1983). Dualistic and wholistic views of God and the world: Consequences for social action. Review of Religious Research, 24, 225–243.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Duvall, E. (1977). Marriage and family development (5th ed.). Philadelphia: Lippincott.Google Scholar
Glock, C.Y., & Stark, R. (1966). Christian beliefs and anti-Semitism. New York: Harper & Row.Google Scholar
Harder, L. (1970). Steinbach and its churches. Elkhart, IN: Mennonite Brethren Seminary.Google Scholar
Havighurst, R.J. (1970). Developmental tasks and education (2nd ed.). New York: David McKay Co.Google Scholar
Horowitz, A. (1982, November). Predictors of caregiving involvement among children of the frail elderly.Paper presented at the 34th Annual Meeting of the Gerontological Society,Boston, MA,November.Google Scholar
Johnson, E.S., & Spence, D.L. (1982). Adult children and their aging parents: An intervention program. Family Relations, 31, 115–122.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Johnstone, R.L. (1983). Religion in society: A sociology of religion (2nd ed.). Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, Inc.Google Scholar
Kauffman, J.H., & Harder, L. (1975). Anabaptists four centuries later. Kitchener: Herald Press.Google Scholar
King, M. (1967). Measuring the religious variable: Nine proposed dimensions. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 6, 173–190.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kivett, V., & Learner, R. (1980). Perspectives of the childless rural elderly: A comparative analysis. The Gerontologist, 20, 708–716.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lee, G.R. (1980). Kinship in the seventies: A decade review of research and theory. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 42, 923–934.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Marshall, V.W., & Bengtson, V.L. (1983). Generations: Conflict and cooperation. In Bergener, M., Lehr, U., Land, E., Schmitz-Scherzer, R. (Eds.), Aging in the eighties and beyond: Highlights of the Twelfth International Congress of Gerontology. New York: Springer Publishing Company.Google Scholar
Miller, D. A. (1981). The “sandwich” generation: Adult children of the aging. Social Work, 26, 419–423.Google Scholar
Mindel, C.H., & Wright, R. Jr. (1982). Satisfaction in multigenerational households. Journal of Gerontology, 37, 483–489.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Moberg, D.O. (1968). Religiosity in old age. In Neugarten, B.L. (Ed.), Middle Age and Aging (pp. 497–508). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.Google Scholar
Moberg, D.O. (1972). Religion and the aging parent. The Family Coordinator, 21, 47–60.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Shanas, E. (1980). Older people and their families: The new pioneers. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 42, 9–15.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Statistics Canada (1983). Population: Religion. (Catalogue Number 92–912). Ottawa: Minister of Supply and Services.Google Scholar
Worchester, M.I., & Quayhagen, M.P. (1983). Correlates of caregiving satisfaction: Prerequisites to elder home care. Research in Nursing and Health, 6, 61–67.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zarit, S.H., Reever, K.W., & Bach-Peterson, J. (1980). Relatives of the impaired elderly: Correlates of feelings of burden. The Gerontologist, 20, 649–655.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed