Creating Continuity Through Mutual Assistance: Intergenerational Reciprocity in Four Ethnic Groups

Abstract

Social exchange can be viewed not only as a means by which those who are old maintain power but as a major vehicle for perpetuating continuity across the generations. When social exchange breaks down, elders suffer from loss of power as expressed through role loss. Elders must have a negotiable commodity to exchange as well as the flexibility to adjust to changes in the extended family. Maintaining continuity of the family in the face of disruptive threats poses a particular challenge for elders.