Family care in Great Britain: Sociological perspectives

Family care is central to the lives of a substantial proportion of older people. Research suggests that this care flows in different directions—from young to old, old to young; from grandparents to grandchildren and vice versa. But alterations to the structure of family life are also affecting care relations. The family in the late twentieth century is a more diverse institution, with higher rates of cohabitation, divorce and remarriage. In this article, Guest Editor Chris Phillipson takes a look at how family care in Britain may be entering a new phase.