Baby-boomers and the ‘denaturalisation’ of care-giving in Quebec

Abstract

The North American post-war generation, known as the baby-boomers, has challenged traditional family relations and the sexual division of labour. How do these challenges play out in the face of frail, ill or disabled family members? A study undertaken in Montreal, Quebec, with baby-boomer care-givers aimed to raise understanding of the realities of this group. We met with  care-givers for a one and a halfhour qualitative interview to discuss their identification with their social generation, their relationship to care-giving, their values regarding care-giving, and the reality of the care-giving they offer. The findings indicate that women, in particular, no longer identify themselves mainly in terms of family. For most, care-giving is not their only or even their dominant identity. They are actively trying to maintain multiple identities: worker, wife, mother, friend and social activist, alongside that of care-giver. They are also participating in the very North American process of individualisation, leading to what we call the 'denaturalisation' of care-giving. Notably, the women we met with call themselves 'care-givers' and not simply wives, daughters or mothers, denoting that the work of care-giving no longer falls within the realm of 'normal' family responsibilities. These care-givers thus set limits to their caring commitments and have high expectations as to services and public support, while still adhering to norms of family responsibility for care-giving.

Constructing the meaning of filial responsibility: choice and obligation in the accounts of adult children

“…Although social and political-economic discourses that prioritize family responsibility as a moral imperative have been well documented, particularly for women (Binney and Estes, 1988;Hooyman and Gonyea, 1995;Armstrong and Kits, 2004), it has also been suggested that in post-industrial North America, structural and cultural processes reflect a pattern of individualization (Beck and Beck-Gernsheim, 2001). As such, individuals may increasingly interpret family relationships as being most appropriately rooted in choice and affection, rather than obligation (Beck and Beck-Gernsheim, 2001;Fine, 2005;Guberman, Lavoie, and Olazabal, 2011). Although participants in the present study supported a moral imperative of filial responsibility to some extent, responsibility (as obligation) did not always fit with their portrayals of family relationships, and choice was a dominant theme throughout their accounts.…”

The provision of unpaid care across cohorts and genders: A research note

“…Guberman et al (2011) suggest that baby boomers consider their caring responsibilities as a role in itself, a shift from the perspective of their parent generation who perceived these as an aspect of their natural roles of mother, daughter, or wife. Furthermore, baby boomer caregiving women voice the importance to maintain their other activities, paid work and social activities, and not having to sacrifice those to take on caregiving, although, in practice, many do make a considerable amount of changes in their professional and personal lives as a consequence of caregiving.…”

Les frontières mouvantes des politiques de maintien à domicile. Reconfiguration de l’action sociale de l’État en France et au Québec

“…Toutefois, différentes analyses menées par Nancy Guberman et Jean-Pierre Lavoie montrent que les familles refusent largement ce retournement (Guberman et al, 2006 ;Guberman, Lavoie et Olazabal, 2011 ;Lavoie et al, 2003). Les proches considèrent généralement que leur rôle est d'assurer le soutien affectif et social de l'aîné et de veiller au bon fonctionnement des différents services assurés par le public et en aucun cas de devenir…”