Research on ageing in Mexico is in its infancy. Social provision for the elderly is lagging behind demographic change and the simple fact that people are now living longer lives. At the moment, most provision comes from charities. The research involved discussion groups with men and women of all ages in four low-income areas of Guadalajara, social surveys in the same areas, and interviews with personnel from old peoples' homes.

Research findings indicate that:

• In 1990, 8.8 percent of women over 60 were living alone against 5.8 percent of men.
• Women are more readily taken in by relatives or homes as they contribute more to housework and childcare.
• Working wives are increasingly reluctant to take on the role of caring for elderly relatives.
• Falling fertility rates imply that there will be fewer sons or daughters around in the future to offer their parents a roof.
• Nannying grandchildren may not be a welcome prospect and older women may prefer to live alone.
• Abandonment and abuse of elderly relatives does occur, sometimes as a means to obtaining ownership of the family home.

Questions for policy makers include:

• Who needs more help: older men or older women?
• Although more women live alone, the plight of elderly men is possibly more acute. Where should resources be targeted?
• Men who have abandoned their wives may be rejected by their children later on and so become homeless. Who should foot the bill?
• How can land titling programmes deter property-related abuse of older homeowners?

Contributor(s): Ann Varley, Maribel Blasco

Source(s):
Family dynamics and housing for older people in urban Mexico, paper presented at the Development Studies Association Conference, Bath, September 1999, by A. Varley and M. Blasco
Política social y sociodemográfica de la vejez, in El Cotidiano 88, by V.Z. Montes de Oca, 1998

Funded by: Economic and Social Research Council, UK

Date: 99 August 20

Further Information:
Ann Varley
Department of Geography
University College London
26 Bedford Way
London
WC1H 0AP
UK

Tel: +44 (0)20 7504 5519
Email: avarley@geog.ucl.ac.uk

Other related links:
Search Eldis for sources on Housing

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