Exchanges between the Elderly, Children, and Siblings in Bangladesh

Sharon J. Ghuman, University of Michigan
Mary Beth Ofstedal, University of Michigan

We contribute to the understanding of family support systems for the elderly in South Asian contexts, namely rural Bangladesh, using the 1996 Matlab Health and Socioeconomic Survey. Our aim is to describe elderly living arrangements, and the provision of visits, monetary and material transfers from non-coresident children and siblings to the elderly. We emphasize 1) gender differences in receipt of support and well-being along several dimensions, particularly among the widowed 2) the relative role of daughters and sons for co-residence and provision of transfers and 3) the levels and gender dimensions of assistance provided by siblings of the elderly.