The Kindred Spirit: The Ties that Bind Indonesian Children and Their Parents

Abstract

AbstractThis paper uses panel data from two rounds of the Indonesia Family Life Survey (IFLS1 and IFLS2) to examine the correlates of shared living arrangements between adult children and older parents. We consider the question from two perspectives: that of prime-age adults (under 60) and that of elderly (60 and above). For both groups, we find that opportunities to co-reside are strong determinants of whether coresidence occurs in 1993. That is, for prime-age adults, the number of living siblings is strongly negatively associated with the presence of a parent in the household. For the elderly, the number of living children is strongly positively associated with whether a child is present in the household. Households headed by elderly respondents are also more likely to contain a child if they are in urban areas or in areas where housing costs are relatively high. We also examine the correlates of the transition to shared living arrangements by 1997. For the elderly, although socioeconomic factors play a role in coresidence in 1993, they are not related to a transition to coresidence by 1997. Among prime-age adults, it is the younger and better educated household heads who are more likely to transition to coresidence by 1997, but these factors do not explain coresidence in 1993.