CARE AND INHERITANCE IN BRITAIN AND JAPAN

This research builds upon the previous research among older people and will complete the whole picture of the ‘generational contract’, exchanging long-term care and inheritance between older parents and their adult children by interviewing the younger generations. This is a cross-national, comparative research that continues to explore the myth of the ‘generational contract’ and its changing patterns in the context of different culture, laws, policy and housing markets in Britain and Japan. Given the complex and dynamic nature of family relations, it examines whether people’s attitudes match their practices, and whether the views and expectations of the younger generation match the intention of their parents using a qualitative methods of inquiry. How the family-state boundaries are shifting in terms of social care delivery, and how policies intervene people’s decision-making process and their outcomes regarding inheritance are also evaluated.