An International Comparison of Intrafamily Mutual Assistance during Recessions and Old Age

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  • 不況期・老後における家族内の助け合いの国際比較
  • フキョウキ ・ ロウゴ ニ オケル カゾク ナイ ノ タスケアイ ノ コクサイ ヒカク

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Abstract

In this paper, I introduce three theoretical models of household behavior and then present data on intrafamily mutual assistance, bequest motives, and bequest division in China, India, Japan, and the United States from an Osaka University household survey in order to shed light on which theoretical model of household behavior applies in each of these countries. I find that the Americans and Indians are more altruistic than the Chinese and Japanese, that the Chinese and Japanese are more selfish than the Americans and Indians, and that intercountry differences in the degree of altruism are due to differences in religiosity. The fact that the Japanese cannot rely on intrafamily mutual assistance to the same extent as those in other countries implies that they must rely more on themselves and on the government (social security). This, in turn, implies that the expansion of the social security program (social safety nets) is more important in Japan than in other countries.

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