Caring sons: Exploring men's involvement in filial care

This paper investigates socio-demographic, family structure and other facto rs that predict men's filial care involvement. The concepts guiding this in vestigation are related to family obligations or motivations to provide car e - commitment to care, legitimate excuses, and caring by default. Data for this research come the Work and Eldercare Research Group of GARNET: The Ca nadian Aging Research Network. This work is based on a sample of 772 men wh o provide assistance to older parents or parents-in-law. Overall, findings demonstrate the value of the conceptual framework for explaining variations in men's care. For example, distance constraints and the commitment of you ng children, appear to be legitimate reasons for less care involvement. Fur ther, living nearby and being without siblings may "default" men into being more involved in care. This research recognizes men's filial care as a mor e complex issue than a 'gender difference' focus on caregiving has allowed.