  We discuss the interrelationship between the treatment of the elderly, the
nature of production, and the transmission of culture. Respect for the elderly
is endogenous. Parents cultivate an interest in consuming culture in their
children; when they are older, children compensate their elders proportional to
the degree to which their interests were previously cultivated. We show that
this model is functionally equivalent to one in which cultural goods are
transferred across generations. We focus on the relative well-being of the
elderly and use the model to explain patterns in their relative well-being
across societies. An important theme is that the cultivation of culture and
norms for the respect and support of the elderly bear a nonlinear relationship
with many economic variables, such as capital and or land intensity in
production. We also discuss the interaction of property rights with production,
assets such as productive resources, and relative treatment of the elderly.
Insecurity of some types of property rights, such as rights over output, may
benefit the elderly, while secure rights over productive resources may also
benefit the elderly. We discuss how the elderly could be affected by
demographic, technological and policy changes in both developing and developed
economies.
