Working and Caring Over the Twentieth Century Change and Continuity in Four Generation Families

Increased longevity and better health are changing the nature of family life. In the context of changes in the world of work, increased divorce and a declining welfare state, multi-generation or "beanpole families" are a potential new resource for family support. Focusing on four-generation families and the two central careers of the life course--employment and care--Working and Caring over the Twentieth Century maps men's and women's lives in twelve families from 1910 to the late 1990s. Drawing upon new research which employed biographical methods, the book provides unique insights into processes of change and continuity and the ways in which people make sense of their lives.