Ageing in the United States at the end of the century.

"The belief that America is a ¿young' nation is widely held by many individuals in the United States. Historically, individualism, self-reliance, and an orientation towards youth have been cherished values reflecting...our national heritage and tradition dating from the 18th through the mid-20th century. However, America is no longer a ¿young' nation. Rather, we are an ¿aging' population, as we show in our analysis of demographic transitions reviewed in this paper. The phenomenon of ¿cultural (or structural) lag' is discussed in two different contexts: first--the context of the aging family; and second--the context of ethnic/racial minority groups. Finally, some of the relevant public policy responses to aging are described. We look at government programs in four major categories, namely, (1) income; (2) health care; (3) social services; and (4) housing."