Gender differences in contributory behaviors among the oldest old in the U.S. and China.
The paper compares the contributory behavior and the related factors among the oldest old in China and the U. S., and finds that respondents of both countries provided a greater range of contributions to families than to friends/neighbors. The females in both samples provided more emotional support to friends/neighbors but less support to their families as comparing with their male counterparts. The multiple regression analysis shows some different factors related to contributory behavior in the Chinese and U. S. samples. These variations may in part be due to the differences in cultural values and social and economic structures in the two countries, as well as the religious affiliation of the respondents and related opportunities for performing contributory acts.
