This dissertation research project will support an anthropology student's project in Thailand. The student will study how economic and social change has affected traditional family behaviors associated with caring for dependent elderly in a developing, but rural area of Thailand. The methods will include intensive interviews with care providers, participant observation, and surveys of households in three villages, varying on dimensions of access to urban services and infrastructure such as electricity and potable water. %%% This research is important because we know little about how traditional communities care for their elderly, and about how these patterns of care vary with economic development. An in depth study of the actual patterns of change in response to specific socio-economic developments such as electrification and health service provision will help us understand the pattern of change in other areas.
