Family Solidarity Research Articles

Intergenerational family relations and subjective well-being in old age: a cross-national study

This study addresses the links between different dimensions of intergenerational family relations (solidarity, conflict, and ambivalence) and subjective well-being (life satisfaction, and positive and negative affects) of older people (aged 75+) using a comparative perspective from a random urban sample in five countries (Norway, England, Germany, Spain, and Israel). Comparative descriptive analyses and multivariate models are presented. Three general conclusions can be drawn. First, the country variables contributed significantly to the explained variance for all three components of well-being, where Israel was most different from the other four countries, except for positive affects, for which Spain and Israel differed from Norway, England, and Germany. However, the countries explained more of the variance for positive and negative affects compared with life satisfaction. Second, the intergenerational family solidarity dimensions contributed significantly to the explained variance for all three components of well-being, although they were differentially related to the different aspects of subjective well-being. Third, personal resources, mainly physical functioning and financial adequacy, were related to all of the well-being variables, although their relative contribution was much stronger for life satisfaction. The importance of intergenerational family relations and personal resources for the subjective well-being of older people and the importance of using multiple measures for outcome variables of well-being are discussed.

Do Religious Children Care More and Provide More Care for Older Parents? A Study of Filial Norms and Behaviors across Five Nations

Religiosity has been largely overlooked by many studies on intergenerational support despite growing evidence to its significant role in shaping parent-child relationship. This study aims (1) to examine the congruence between commitment to eldercare and actual parental care in five countries; and (2) to investigate the role of religiosity in predicting the development of filial norms and the enactment of such norms to actual supportive behavior toward parents. Latent class analyses (LCA) and logistic regression analyses were performed using a sub-sample from the Role of Old Age Service Systems and Intergenerational Family Solidarity (OASIS) study, a nationally representative sample of four European countries (Norway, England, Spain, and Germany) and Israel (N=2,327). LCA demonstrated that the most frequent class across all countries (46%) was the committed-supporters, reporting high filial norms and a high probability of exhibiting filial behavior. The next most frequent class (31%) consisted of independent children, those weakly endorsing filial norms and unlikely to engage in supportive filial behavior. The final class (23%) consists of long-distance supporters—endorsing strong commitment for exchange of support and a strong likelihood of providing instrumental support without commitment to geographic proximity and without living close to parents. Logistic regression analyses show that non-religious adult children are more likely to be non-committed to and uninvolved in parental care; Very religious individuals were half as likely to belong to this independent group. Our results indicate that religiosity plays a significant role in shaping eldercare norms and behavior across countries.

Catene d'oro, sangue e amore: famiglie migranti e vita economica tra dimensione locale e transnazionale

- The aim of this paper is to analyze the economic and solidarity practices that characterize immigrant family life. Immigrants' intimate relationships often extend beyond Italy, and their life course trajectories, constellated by (more or less prolonged) separations and progressive reunifications, pose a challenge to conventional frameworks regarding family exchanges, circuits of help and consumption patterns. Choices such as building a house or raising children, are often made on a transnational basis, considering both sending and receiving context's resources, limits and constraints. At the same time, re-locating family ties it's not an immediate choice nor an easy process, and the "myth of return" often shapes immigrant's imaginated future and hopes, after many years spent away from their home country. Drawing on interviews realized with immigrant parents and teens, we are going to unfold the peculiarity of their experiences, rediscussing some of the more commonly used assumptions concerning the amount, the logics and the directions of family members' economic exchanges and responsibilities, especially in terms of gender and generations.keywords Immigrant families, family solidarity, transnationalism.

Gendered Power in Cultural Contexts: Part II. Middle Class African American Heterosexual Couples with Young Children

When race and gender intersect, understanding gendered power may be complicated. The authors first describe the historical context that serves as important background for understanding gender and power in heterosexual African American relationships. Then they show how family solidarity in the face of social injustices often overrides gender equality as a goal for middle class African American couples with young children. The findings illustrate pragmatic equality within couple relationships and the willful suspension of gender roles for the well-being of the family as a whole. However, gendered power impacts couples in a variety of ways. Sometimes a woman's fear that the man might leave, for example, diminished her power in the relationship. Often a woman accommodated a man's greater power in the family because of her perception that he was often denied power in the larger society. Societal discrimination of women was less visible to couples. Implications for practice are provided.

Intergenerational Family Relations and Life Satisfaction Among Three Elderly Population Groups in Transition in the Israeli Multi-cultural Society

The study aims to illuminate the links between personal and familial resources and wellbeing of elders 65+ in three population groups in Israel: kibbutz members, new immigrants from the former Soviet Union and Arabs-all of whom are undergoing different types of personal, social and economic transitions. About 70 respondents in each group were interviewed regarding life satisfaction, familial relations based on the paradigm of intergenerational family solidarity and personal resources (socio-demographic and physical functioning). The main conclusions of this study are: the lives of the elderly immigrants are much more disruptive by the transitional migration processes they are undergoing and this affects their well-being which was much lower than the other two groups. Additionally they received more help from the family. Family solidarity, mainly opportunity structures and emotional bonds were especially strong among the Arabs, with the lowest level of conflict. The Arab elderly were also different from the other two groups in the lower level of help they provided to their adult children, probably due to their more limited level of personal resources and the differing social expectations. The majority of respondents acknowledged some degree of filial obligations, although much lower among kibbutz members. Personal resources (physical functioning and financial adequacy) had the strongest effect on life satisfaction in all three groups. The dimensions of family solidarity played a less dominant role. The discussion highlights the distinctive family culture of the three groups, the transition they face, and their differential resources with some policy recommendations.

Intergenerational family solidarity: Value differences between immigrant groups and generations.

Although immigrants may be more dependent on their immediate family for support, they may also experience a wider generation-gap in values regarding intergenerational solidarity, because of processes of acculturation. Based on large scale survey data (N = 2,028), differences between first and second generation immigrants in values regarding intergenerational solidarity were examined among family members in the Netherlands with an immigration background from Turkey, Morocco, Suriname, and The Dutch Antilles. Using a multilevel analytic approach, effects of family and individual characteristics on values regarding intergenerational solidarity were tested, considering the perspectives of two generations. It was found that immigrants with Moroccan and Turkish backgrounds scored higher on values with respect to intergenerational family solidarity than immigrants stemming from Suriname and The Antilles. First generation immigrants placed higher values on family solidarity compared to second generation immigrants. Additionally, religious denomination was a significant predictor of higher values with respect to intergenerational family solidarity. Immigration and acculturation may create great strains in migrant families. Policies to support the fabric of intergenerational solidarity should consider ethnic and religious background and immigration history.

The Effect of the Traditional Living Arrangement, Anpakkori, on Depressive Symptoms in Elderly People Residing on Jeju Island

ObjectiveWe examined the effect of anpakkori, a traditional living arrangement, on depression among elderly people on Jeju Island in Korea.MethodsA total of 593 subjects were assessed using a sociodemographic questionnaire developed by the authors, the Korean version of Geriatric Depression Scale (KGDS), the Social Support Scale, and the Activities of Daily Living/Instrumental Activities of Daily Living scales (ADL/IADL). Subjects were classified into three groups: those residing with their adult children, those living individually, and those living in the traditional Jeju anpakkori living arrangement.ResultsThe prevalence of depression in this study was 53.1%, and the traditional Jeju living arrangement, anpakkori, was significantly correlated with the presence of depressive symptoms (p=0.005)[odds ratio (OR)=1.88, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.16-3.06].ConclusionLiving in the traditional Jeju way may not be as good for establishing family solidarity as is living with adult children. Moreover, elderly individuals prone to depression tended to live in this anpakkori living arrangement. Careful psychological and social support systems that might prevent the development of depressive symptoms should be provided for those who live in anpakkori living arrangements.

The Emerging Role of the Constitutional Value of Ubuntu for Informal Social Security in South Africa

AbstractThis paper explores the significance of the African value of ubuntu within the context of social protection. The paper argues that ubuntu as a constitutional value plays a crucial role in supporting the existence of informal social security in South Africa. It concludes by reflecting the overarching potential that the traditional African value has for influencing the social protection and enhancing family solidarity in the South African context.

Family Change and Implications for Family Solidarity and Social Cohesion

Social cohesion can be viewed in terms of common projects and networks of social relations that characterize families, communities and society. In the past decades, the basis for family cohesion has shifted from organic to mechanical or from breadwinner to collaborative model. As in many Western countries, data on family change in Canada point to a greater flexibility in the entry and exit from relationships, a delay in the timing of family events, and a diversity of family forms. After looking at changes in families and in the family setting of individuals, the paper considers both intra-family cohesion and families as basis for social cohesion. Implications are raised for adults, children and public policy.

Reincarnation “Iroso” in Esan: A Myth or Reality

It is the concern of this paper to examine the concept of 'iroso', which means reincarnation among the Esan people of southwestern Nigeria. It becomes necessary to x-ray this happening against the background of such selected phenomenon in African traditional worldview that supposedly makes up the content of African philosophy. The paper came to a conclusion that it is not all events or occurrences that could be explained empirically. Hence, reincarnation should be taken as one of the ways Africans promotes family solidarity and unbroken unity and such be accepted as what Echekwube referred to as 'regeneration' theory instead of reincarnation.

Social and Family Policies in Italy: Not Totally Frozen but Far from Structural Reforms

Abstract This article analyses the main shifts in the political and public discourse about families, children, elderly people, care needs and women‐friendly policies in Italy over the last two decades. It shows that while family and gender relationships have become an ideologically highly charged public issue, policies at the practical level have remained largely stagnant, marginal and fragmentary. At the same time, important institutional changes (such as the constitutional reform of 2001, which introduced a form of federalism) have created new problems of governance. The authors argue that in the face of inadequate policies, the recourse of individuals and families to old (family solidarity) and new (migrant labour) solutions may cause new tensions and inequalities.

Intergenerational transmission of kinship norms? Evidence from siblings in a multi-actor survey

Many studies on family solidarity emphasize the importance of norms for understanding why people help family members. The question of where kinship norms come from, however, is underanalyzed. This study examines the influence of the family of origin on the development of kinship norms using models of sibling resemblance estimated on a large-scale multi-actor survey. Analyses show that a quarter of the variance in filial norms can be explained by the family of origin. The family of origin has a smaller influence on normative obligations toward children and other family. Part of the total family influence can be explained by the filial norms that parents have themselves and the emphasis parents put on obedience. Family background characteristics are less important.

Off‐Scheduling within Dual‐Earner Couples: An Unequal and Negative Externality for Family Time

Using couples' time-diary data from two French time-use surveys (1986, 1999), this article explores the extent to which off-scheduling within dual-earner couples is an unequal and negative externality for family time. An empirical typology of family workdays is built using a variant of optimal matching, and three kinds of family time are taken into account: conjugal time, father- and mother-child time, and parents-child time. The results indicate that off-scheduling is an unintentional by-product of employers' economic interests and that, since it reduces conjugal and parents-child time but fails to foster temporal complementarity between parents, it is a negative factor for family solidarity.

Immigrants and Long-distance Elder Care: An Exploratory Study

In this paper we explored the rationales and the processes among five Ghanaian immigrants residing in two cities in the Mid-Atlantic region of the USA for providing care and support to their older adult relatives in Ghana. Although some of our participants indicated that elder care duties could sometimes be overwhelming, all expressed their willingness and desire to continue to provide care for their older adult relatives. Provision of elder care was viewed as a way to show family solidarity, and a means to demonstrate respect and appreciation to one’s older adult relatives and others who had provided support in the past. Our findings suggest older adults in Ghana can still rely on their family members who have migrated for care and support.

Are the poor socially integrated? The link between poverty and social support in different welfare regimes

Cultures of support vary across enlarged Europe. This article examines the link between poverty and social integration in countries characterized by different economic, cultural and welfare state regimes. Its object is to determine whether being materially disadvantaged increases the likelihood of social disintegration (accumulation) or whether poor people can count on receiving more support (compensation). In addition it will examine the conditions under which material and social disadvantages accumulate. The empirical analysis thus combines a micro- with a macro-sociological perspective and focuses particular attention on the context in which people are poor. Although poverty is closely connected to social disintegration, the degree of accumulation varies from one country to the next. Of decisive importance is household composition, which is strongly related to country-specific social policy design. Contextual factors such as the prevalence of poverty also play a role, as do general attitudes to religion and family solidarity.

Evaluation of Project P.A.T.H.S. in Hong Kong: Triangulation of Findings Based on Different Evaluation Strategies

There are different adolescent developmental issues in Hong Kong, such as mental health problems, abuse of psychotropic substances, adolescent suicide, school violence, and drop in family solidarity, that deserve the attention of helping professionals[1]. With reference to these problems, primary prevention programs that target specific adolescent developmental problems and positive youth development programs are called for. Furthermore, attempts to identify the "at-risk" adolescents at an earlier stage are important. However, research findings show that there are very few systematic and multiyear positive youth development programs in Hong Kong. Even if such programs exist, they commonly deal with isolated problems and issues in adolescent development (i.e., deficits-oriented programs) and they are relatively short term in nature. In addition, systematic and long-term evaluation of the available programs does not exist[2].

The Contribution of a Longitudinal Approach to Family Solidarity Surveys: Reflections on the Temporality of Exchanges

The topic of intergenerational family solidarity which is the focus of unprecedented interest for both policy makers and researchers, has promoted numerous studies centered on the bonds that unite generations and the dynamics of family solidarity through time. The notion of time is thus central to this field of research. In this paper, after an overview of various longitudinal perspectives adopted in family solidarity surveys; we identify the major methodological challenges raised by the dynamics of “family solidarity”. Three distinct temporal aspects must be considered: historical time, which applies to the maintenance of solidarity over time despite structural change in both families and society; generational time implied by the primacy of intergenerational exchanges; and finally, biographical time, which refers to the calendar of individual and family trajectories. An extensive array of quantitative data collections are examined to illustrate how they allow to study these different aspects of the temporality of exchanges.

Geographical distances between adult children and their parents in the Netherlands

Abstract We investigate the determinants of geographical distances to parents. We focus on the role of family members who live outside the household (the parents themselves, and siblings), and on the distinction between the effects of life events and effects related to the timing with which these events have been experienced in the life course. We use data from the Netherlands Kinship Panel Study and linear regression models on the logarithm of distance. We find that life-course characteristics are much more important to the distance to parents than parental characteristics. Sibling characteristics, most notably the presence of a sister, also have an impact on this distance. 1. Introduction Despite the proliferation of internet and communication technology, geographical distance between family members is still of major importance in the intensity and shape of contacts among them. Even today, distance turns out to be one of the most powerful variables explaining the provision of care and support in family networks (see for example Bian et al. 1998). The importance of family ties might lead people to refrain from moving further away from family members or to move closer to them. At the same time, there are many potential triggers during the life course for moving, related for example to educational attainment and the labor market career. The individual and family dimensions of the life course are thus connected, and individual choices oriented towards reaching personal goals might compete or interfere with the desire to maintain family solidarity (Bengtson 2001). Because of the strong negative link between distance and the provision of support, it is no surprise that the determinants of intergenerational proximity, or the distances between adult children and their parents, have gained so much research attention since the 1990s (see Clark and Wolf 1992, Rogerson et al. 1993 1997, Bian et al. 1998, Glaser and Tomassini 2000, Shelton and Grundy 2000, Choi 2003, Fransson and Teeland 2004, Mulder and Kalmijn 2006, Van Diepen and Mulder 2006, Malmberg and Pettersson 2007). Previous research has focused mainly on individual, household, and macro determinants of the geographical distances between generations. The studies stress the major part that life-course events play in residential choice, and therefore also on distance: education, the labor-market position, and the household situation were found to have an important impact on the distance between family members. In the research reported thus far, two sets of determinants have received little attention, even though they are arguably likely to be important with respect to distances between generations. The first set is related to the influence of the characteristics of the family as a whole, including the characteristics of family members who live outside the household of the individuals under study. Naturally, when explaining the distance between a parent and a child, it is important to take the characteristics of both the parent and the child into account. The characteristics and locations of siblings are also likely to be important. Not only are siblings alternative providers or receivers of support, but the family of origin also constitutes an important component of an individual's social capital. The family of origin is therefore a potential reason for inertia or for aiming at proximity to other family members. The lack of attention paid to date to the characteristics of family members outside the household is probably partly the result of the paucity of suitable data. Not many datasets contain information on both the respondent and other family members, particularly those living outside the household. The second set of under-researched determinants is the timing with which life events have been experienced. Life events have an impact on shaping the distances between generations, but their impact is likely to depend on the life-course stage in which the event took place. …

「空虚な個人化」と家族の連帯:構造・体制変動を経験したハンガリー

「空虚な個人化」と家族の連帯:構造・体制変動を経験したハンガリー

The Networked Household

The authors argue that individuals, rather than family solidarities, have become the primary unit of household connectivity. Many households do not operate as traditional densely knit groups but as more sparsely knit social networks where individuals juggle their somewhat separate agendas and schedules. At a time when many people enact multiple, individual roles at home, in the community and at work, the authors ask: how do adult household members communicate with each other? How do adult household members use information and communication technologies (ICTs) to organize, communicate and coordinate their leisure and social behavior both inside and outside the home? Interviews and surveys conducted in 2004–2005 in the Toronto, Canada area of East York show that households remain connected – but as networks rather than solidary groups. The authors describe how networked individuals bridge their relationships and connect with each other inside and outside the home. ICTs have afforded household members the ability to go about on their separate ways while staying more connected – by mobile phone, email and IM – as well as by traditional landlines. In such ways, rather than pulling families apart, ICTs often facilitate communication, kinship and functional integration.