Abstract:

Based on the literature review of the elder care in China， a role engagement model of elder care is specified in this paper. This model is composed of three core propositions： (1) the cost proposition the higher the costs， the lower the probability for a person to involve in elder care； (2) the proximity propositionthe shorter the distance (geographical or social) between the caregiver and the carereceiver， the higher the probability for a person to take the caregiver role； (3) the obligation propositionthe stronger the obligation felt toward the carereceiver， the higher the probability for the caregiver to engage in elder care. Most of the six hypotheses derived from these three propositions are supported by the results from a multivariate normal probability analysis of the raw data of the 2000 China’s Urban and Rural Old Population Sampling Survey. The findings from this study have provided a new angle and a theoretical basis to understand the relationship between state care and family care for the elderly， and to select public policies rationally.

Key words: population ageing, daily caregiving, role engagement