This is a comparative study of aging and the social contract in Japan and the United States. By using quantitative and institutional data as well as absorbing life histories, the book explores the different cultural definitions of vulnerability and giving, and the ways they shape and constrain helping arrangements.

The Gift of Generations is an inquiry into the different cultural meanings of giving and deserving help in two aging societies. Post-industrial societies today contend with population dynamics that have never before existed. As the number of older people grows, countries must determine how best to provide for the needs of this population. The constraints are real: Fiscal and material resources are finite and must be shared in a way that is perceived as just. As such, societies confront the fundamental question of who gets what, how, and why, and ultimately must reappraise the principles determining why some people are considered more worthy of help than others. This study systematically explores the Japanese and American answers to this fundamental question.