The gift of generations : Japanese and American perspectives on aging and the social contract
The Gift of Generations is an inquiry into the different cultural meanings of giving and deserving help in two aging societies. Post-industrial societies today contend with population dynamics that have never before existed. As the number of older people grows, countries must determine how best to provide for the needs of this population. The constraints are real: Fiscal and material resources are finite and must be shared in a way that is perceived as just. As such, societies confront the fundamental question of who gets what, how, and why, and ultimately must reappraise the principles determining why some people are considered more worthy of help than others. This study systematically explores the Japanese and American answers to this fundamental question
Print Book, English, 1996
Cambridge University Press, Cambridge [England], 1996
Cross-cultural studies
xv, 226 pages ; 22 cm
9780521483070, 9780521555203, 0521483077, 0521555205
33045418
1. The Social Designation of Deserving Citizens
2. Two Communities, Two Societies
3. Rights and Responsibilities in the Public Domain
4. The Practice of Protection and Intervention in the Private Domain
5. The Japanese Viewpoint
6. The American Viewpoint
7. Cultural Assumptions and Values
8. The Social Regulation of Interests
9. Conclusion