Family support networks among elders in a native American community: Contact with children and siblings among the prairie band potawatomi

Abstract

Although a great deal is known about family support networks among older whites, little is known about the workings of family support networks among elderly Native Americans. Face-to-face interviews focused on the availability and proximity of kin and the frequency of nine common family activities with each child and sibling. The effects of proximity, gender, marital status, and the equity of helping relationships on family support network operation are analyzed revealing similarities and differences with previous research findings among Anglos. Differences with previous research findings include that the strongest sibling tie is between brothers rather than between sisters, the presence of a spouse insulates elders rather than invigorates contact within the network, and marital dissolution (whether through widowhood, divorce or separation) does not isolate elders from children or siblings. The study concludes with suggestions for future research to refine our understanding of family support network operation.