Older women are key financial and practical caregivers in contemporary lowincome,
multi-generational households. A large volume of research has shown
how this burden of care has been shaped by social and economic conditions, the
nature of state support and feelings of kin obligation. Less is known about how
intra-household dynamics shape the distribution of responsibility for caregiving
within households. This working paper discusses the findings of a qualitative
study that explored the intra-household dynamics of care provision in fourteen
low-income multi-generational households that were headed by older women in
Khayelitsha. In discussing the caregiving experiences of the older women, it is
argued that their burden of care was, in part, shaped by intergenerational
negotiations over the provision of financial and practical care by younger
household members. Despite their headship status, seniority, economic resources
and the socialisation of younger kin to recognise reciprocal obligations of kin
support, the older women had trouble negotiating for and obtaining assistance
from their younger household members. In contrast, many of their adult children
and teenage grandchildren seemed able to resist the claims made on their unpaid
labour and financial resources; often leaving the older women with greater
responsibility for ensuring the maintenance of their households. Furthermore, it
is argued that these experiences reflect shifting positions of power within
households that add to the vulnerabilities experienced by older women in their
roles as caregivers.