Negotiating Family Responsibilities

Book Cover......Page 1
Half-Title......Page 2
Title......Page 3
Copyright......Page 4
Contents......Page 5
Tables......Page 6
Acknowledgements......Page 7
Example 1: Sarah Yates and her cousin Mary Mycock......Page 9
Example 2: Maureen Vickers and her mother......Page 10
Example 3: Leona Smith and her brothers......Page 11
Example 4: Alf Smith and his mother-in-law......Page 12
THE FAMILY OBLIGATIONS PROJECT......Page 18
PUBLIC NORMS AND FAMILY RESPONSIBILITIES......Page 22
FAMILY RESPONSIBILITIES IN PRACTICE: A CASE EXAMPLE......Page 29
CONCLUSION......Page 36
INTRODUCTION: THE IMPORTANCE OF KIN SUPPORT IN PRACTICE......Page 37
GIVE AND TAKE IN KIN EXCHANGES......Page 42
EXAMPLE: SARAH ALLEN’S RELATIONSHIP WITH HER PARENTS......Page 45
DIRECT REPAYMENT......Page 48
INDIRECT REPAYMENT: NEGOTIATING RATES OF EXCHANGE......Page 50
Example 1: John Green and his grandchildren......Page 52
Example 2: Jane Smith and her husband’s kin......Page 53
Example 3: Caroline Gardner and her cousin......Page 54
Negotiating rates of exchange......Page 56
INDIRECT EXCHANGE: GENERALISED RECIPROCITY......Page 58
CONCLUSION......Page 65
INTRODUCTION: UNDERSTANDING THE NEGOTIATION OF FAMILY RESPONSIBILITIES......Page 67
EXPLICIT AND IMPLICIT NEGOTIATIONS IN PRACTICE......Page 71
Open discussions......Page 72
Clear intentions......Page 78
Non-decisions......Page 81
FORMS OF NEGOTIATING PRACTICE......Page 86
NEGOTIATING COMMITMENTS IN PRACTICE: A CASE STUDY......Page 88
The initial issue: how to respond to Doreen’s widowhood?......Page 89
The continuing issue: developing commitments in the Simpson family......Page 92
Negotiations about family responsibilities in the Simpson case......Page 97
THE CONCEPT OF COMMITMENT IN FAMILY RESPONSIBILITIES......Page 99
CONCLUSION......Page 102
INTRODUCTION: UNDERSTANDING LEGITIMATE EXCUSES......Page 103
Employment......Page 108
Other family commitments......Page 111
Competence......Page 113
Geographical distance......Page 114
Lack of resources......Page 116
MAKING EXCUSES AND CONSTRUCTING MEANINGS......Page 118
Example 1: the Mansfields......Page 119
Example 2: the Gardners......Page 120
Example 3: the MacIntyres......Page 121
Example 4: the Crabtrees......Page 122
Does the ability to get excuses accepted as legitimate vary by gender, or genealogical relationship?......Page 125
Does legitimacy matter?......Page 131
CONCLUSION......Page 133
INTRODUCTION: THE MORAL DIMENSIONS OF RESPONSIBILITIES TO KIN......Page 135
ASKING AND OFFERING......Page 137
NOT EXPECTING......Page 141
BEING GENEROUS......Page 150
REPUTATION IN THE KIN GROUP......Page 154
CONCLUSION: THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE MORAL DIMENSION OF NEGOTIATIONS IN FAMILIES......Page 164
FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS AND FAMILY RESPONSIBILITIES......Page 168
The significance of kin relationships as social support......Page 169
The nature of kin responsibilities: rules, rights and commitments......Page 172
Material and moral dimensions of family responsibilities......Page 175
SOME BROADER IMPLICATIONS OF OUR ARGUMENT......Page 178
IMPLICATIONS FOR SOCIAL POLICY......Page 183
Sampling......Page 187
Sample characteristics......Page 188
Survey questionnaire content......Page 190
THE QUALITATIVE STUDY......Page 191
Sampling......Page 192
Study group characteristics......Page 194
The Yates: Sarah Yates’s kin group......Page 197
The Simpsons: Julie Simpson’s kin group......Page 198
The Crabtrees: Jean Crabtree’s kin group......Page 199
The Arkrights: Simone Arkright’s kin group......Page 200
The Jacksons: Robert Jackson’s kin group......Page 201
The Frosts: Andrew Frost’s kin group......Page 202
The Joneses: Isobel Jones’s kin group......Page 203
A. HIGH LEVEL OF AGREEMENT THAT HELP SHOULD COME FROM RELATIVES......Page 205
B. HIGH LEVEL OF AGREEMENT THAT HELP SHOULD NOT COME FROM RELATIVES......Page 206
C. SPLIT PATTERN OF RESPONSES......Page 207
WHO DOES WHAT FOR WHOM?......Page 213
1: Financial assistance......Page 214
2: Providing a home for a relative, either temporarily or permanently......Page 216
4: Practical help......Page 219
5: Caring for someone who is ill or incapacitated......Page 222
6: Giving emotional support......Page 224
References......Page 227
Name index......Page 230
Subject index......Page 232