Aging, Social Class, and Ethnicity: A Comparison of Anglo, Black, and Mexican-American Texans

Abstract

Evidence from a large sample of Anglo, Black, and Mexican-American Texans, aged 55 and over indicates that ethnicity exerts more powerful effects than age and (in many cases also) SES on educational attainment, the timing of role exits, on health and disability, activities, social supports, self-concept, morale, and economic dependency and the need for public services. Women, particularly minority women, are at greatest risk of poverty, dependency, and allied problems as they age. Thus, inequalities based on race and sex have cumulative effects as people age. Mexican-American women have markedly fewer social supports than Mexican-American men or people in other ethnic groups. Upper-middle-class Blacks have more extensive social supports than the other two ethnic groups. The two minority groups register higher need for and use of social services than Anglos. Blacks and Anglos are more knowledgeable about existing public services than Mexican-Americans. Mexican-American men have more extensive informal social supports and more frequently register high need for public services than their female peers. Informal support networks perform important functions in relation to need, knowledge, and use of public services which vary according to SES. They are a means for the dissemination of information about available public services. Among low SES elderly, support networks enhance people's awareness of needs and facilitate utilization of public services; among higher SES elderly, informal networks reduce the need for and utilization of public services. Finally, public policy implications of the findings are discussed.