GENDER AND THE DIVISION OF FILIAL RESPONSIBILITY BETWEEN LONE SISTERSAND THEIR BROTHERS

Descriptions of and rationales for the division of responsibility for elderly parents by 50 sister-brother dyads in sibling groups that incl uded only one sister were analyzed qualitatively to explore why provis ion of services is a gendered activity or at the very least appears to be. Three interrelated factors were identified: (a) Family members ad opted cultural assumptions about what constituted gender-appropriate b ehavior; (b) the lone sister typically was ''in charge'' of service pr ovision; (c) brothers' actual contributions tended to be considered un important by both sisters and brothers. The gender composition of the sibling group is suggested to be an important context within which the meanings of gender and parent care are negotiated.