Caregiving in the Welfare State

Abstract

Changes in the care given by the family, social networks and the state to children, the elderly and the sick have been examined empirically on the basis of 744 personal interviews conducted among urban population aged 25-64 years in Finland in 1981. Sources of help in solving conjugal crisis, problems with teenage children and financial problems were investigated according to sex and age of respondents. Also type of confidants in personal troubles was questioned Caregiving to children during day-time, care of the elderly and the sick have increasingly been taken over by the state (shown by companson between the situation in respondent's own childhood and the present). It is still mainly women who perform the caregiving functions in society, nowadays often as paid work instead of as unpaid work. Women give and receive outside help more than men, who tend to keep problems inside the family. For example, women have more confidants than men, who feel they can talk out troubles only with their wives.