Whom can I count on today? Contextualizing the balance of family and government old age support for rural pensioners in Mongolia

Understanding the trends affecting old age security worldwide is critical as global population aging continues in the 21st century. Although the family is still viewed as the main source of support for Third World elderly, formal government support (e.g., pensions) has taken on a more central role in many of these societies today. While some scholars increasingly view government support programs as necessary for ensuring old age security in locations where familial support mechanisms are under strain, others have argued against this position. Proponents of the "crowding out" theory have contended that governmental support for the elderly may decrease the cultural value placed on filial assistance and be counterproductive. Conversely, supporters of the "crowding in" theory have argued that government support may promote rather than undermine traditional family support.;Although there has been growing theoretical debate about these issues, little empirical data has been collected exploring the "crowding out" and "crowding in" concepts, especially in Third World locations. In addition, there is virtually no data examining these issues in rural areas where the majority of Third World elderly live. This research examined the effects of pensions on the elderly in Mongolia, a formerly socialist nation where an elaborate pension system has been available to both rural and urban elderly since the 1970's.;The study utilized qualitative and quantitative data to examine how pensions impacted intergenerational support patterns among a random sample of 104 elderly in Moost, a herding community in Western Mongolia. This research described numerous facets of the experience of aging in Moost and provided a focused examination of the role of old age pensions. Specifically, it provided a micro-level analysis of how both familial and governmental old age support mechanisms have contributed to old age security in this setting.;The evidence from Moost supported the "crowding in" paradigm. Data showed that the combination of ongoing familial support and the strong concept of filial piety along with pensions contributed to Moost elderly reporting high levels of overall life-satisfaction. This Mongolian-case-study highlighted the need for more empirical studies examining the balance of traditional familial and governmental old support mechanisms cross-culturally.