Intergenerational Exchange in Developing Countries

Abstract

Summary In the developing countries, the most influential modern social change is the “greying” of the population. In these countries, there are variations in the ratio of young people to old and also changes in intergenerational relationships. Modern education in these nations is contributing to undermining the roles and prestige of the less educated elders. The patterns of “greying” that have been rapidly occurring during the past 20 years in the developing countries are the same patterns that slowly occurred during a 200 year period in the developing Western industrial nations. These processes often leave grandparents alone, or grandparents living with grandchildren where the parent generation is absent. This is a largely un-researched field in developing countries and where some successful intergenerational models arc beginning to emerge.