Dependent or Productive? A New Approach to Understanding the Social Positioning of Older South Africans Through Living Arrangements

Overview

Journal Res Aging

Specialty Geriatrics

Date 2015 Feb 5

PMID 25651584

Citations 23

Authors

Enid Schatz

Sangeetha Madhavan

Mark Collinson

F Xavier Gomez-Olive

Margaret Ralston

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

South Africa's population is aging. Most of the older Black South Africans continue to live in extended household structures with children, grandchildren, and other kin. They also constitute a source of income through a means-tested noncontributory state-funded pension available at age 60. Using census data from the Agincourt Health and Demographic Surveillance System in 2000, 2005, and 2010, we develop a typology of living arrangements that is reflective of the social positioning of elderly persons as dependent or productive household members and analyze changes in the distribution over time. Older persons, in general, live in large, complex, and multigenerational households. Multigenerational households with "productive" older persons are increasing in proportion over the period, although there are few differences by gender or pension eligibility at any time point.

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