Globalisation and support in old age

The paper opposes collective social support for later life to individualised activity. It suggests that collective support can be divided into social arrangements for sharing work over the life course, collective support among family members and collective support provided by formal institutions In this context work includes paid and unpaid work. Family support is considered in a cross cultural context and so is a broader concept than is usual in the UK. Formal collectivities are defined to include all late life-oriented organised welfare, including pensions and health and social care, whether state, non-profit or commercial. Each of these collectivities is discussed in relation to support in later life. The effect of economic globalisation on each is outlined but the main emphasis is on analysing threatened support systems.