Centre for Policy on Ageing
 

 
Informal support for older people in post-unification East Germany: stability and change
Author(s)Thomas Scharf
Journal titleJournal of Cross-Cultural Gerontology, vol 12, no 1, March 1997
Pagespp 61-72
KeywordsInformal care ; Immigrants ; Germany.
AnnotationGerman unification led to substantial out-migration of younger East Germans to the West. This article discusses possible impacts of this out-migration upon the social support networks of older people in the East German city of Leipzig. Using Wenger's network typology, information was sought about the social support networks of 54 people aged 65 years and over for 1989 and 1993. The aim was to identify the extent to which support networks were resistant to change, and where changes occurred, whether such changes could directly be attributed to unification. The findings indicated only a modest impact of unification upon older people's social support networks in Leipzig. The majority of support networks remained the same over the period of analysis, suggesting that informal support for older people is more robust and resistant to social change than might be anticipated. (AKM).
Accession NumberCPA-980724404 A
ClassmarkP6: TJ: 767

Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing
...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing.
 
CPA home >> Ageinfo Database >> Queries to: webmaster@cpa.org.uk