The gift of generations
Subtitle: Japanese and American perspectives on aging and the social contract
By: Akiko Hashimoto.
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Published: 1996
Place of publication: Cambridge [England]; New York, NY, USA
Language: eng
Number of pages: 226
Subjects: Older people -- Cross-cultural studies.; Social contract -- Cross-cultural studies.; Older people -- Japan -- Family relationships.; Older people -- United States -- Family relationships.; Older people -- Services for -- Japan.; Older people -- Services for -- United States.
Description: The Gift of Generations is an inquiry into the different cultural meanings of giving and deserving help in two aging societies. Post-industrial societies today contend with population dynamics that have never before existed. As the number of older people grows, countries must determine how best to provide for the needs of this population. The constraints are real: Fiscal and material resources are finite and must be shared in a way that is perceived as just.

As such, societies confront the fundamental question of who gets what, how, and why, and ultimately must reappraise the principles determining why some people are considered more worthy of help than others. This study systematically explores the Japanese and American answers to this fundamental question.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 200-214) and index.