In an era of changing demographics and values, this volume provides a cross-national and interdisciplinary perspective on the question of who cares for and about the elderly. The contributors reflect on research studies, experimental programmes and personal experience in Japan and the United States to explicitly compare how policies, practices and interpretations of elder care are evolving at the turn of the century. This volume provides a broader picture of how elder care is defined at a time when ageing is becoming increasingly defined as a social problem. It contextualises its subject through a unique approach which brings together international experts from fields including anthropology, health economics, social work and psychology to examine the implications for elder care of demographic, social and economic change in both the US and Japan. Key issues which are addressed include: * the role of gender in the assignment of caregiving duties * the impact of social change on reciprocal care and intergenerational justice * the influence of cultural assumptions on the shaping of policy through political process This book will be an invaluable resource to all students, teachers and researchers interested in health and welfare, applied social policy and gerontology.