Intergenerational Relationships Research Articles

Will Downward Intergenerational Housing Support Increase Parents' Expectations for Old-Age Care from Adult Children? Evidence from China.

Toward a background of young people's decreasing housing affordability and parents' increasing involvement in intergenerational housing support, this study investigates how such support influences parents' expectation of future care from adult children. Using data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, we found that, in general, middle-aged/older adults who provided adult children financial housing support were more likely to expect old-age care from them. The help-receiving child was more likely to be an expected caregiver than the other children in multi-children families. Moreover, the reciprocal relationship was most prominent among the 1950s cohort, compared with the pre-1950s and the post-1950s cohorts. Our study broadly contributes to understanding how modernization reshapes intergenerational relationships and family members' expectations of commitments toward each other. It also informs the design of a comprehensive multi-level care system for older adults in China.

Online banking and women's increasing bargaining power in marriage: A case study in a ‘Taobao village’ of southern Fujian

This article explores the extent to which the advent of e-commerce and online banking has enhanced the ability of rural women to manage family finances. The prevalence of digital payment has reshaped economic life in rural China, but how the adoption of online banking has impacted power relations in rural families remains underexplored. Drawing from ethnographic data collected in a Chinese Taobao village, I reveal how female online sellers' access to joint earnings with their husbands, through sharing digital payment accounts, has expanded their ability to curb their husbands' excessive personal spending, thus allowing them to better manage household income. I also delve into this issue by taking into account intergenerational power relations in the processes of female online sellers' exercise of agency, a dimension of which has not been adequately explored in the scholarship on digital banking and women's financial status in developing regions.

The role of grandparents in the family's penitentiary crisis: biographical research

This paper focuses on the role and importance of grandparents in the situation of the family's penitentiary crisis. In the light of biographical research carried out with two research groups: (1) adults who experienced a parent's incarceration in childhood and (2) parents of prisoners – the activities and key strategies of grandparents involved in supporting their grandchildren were analysed. The potential of Fritz Schütze's biographical sociology was used to carry out the study, based on the reconstruction of the life history of the respondents. On the basis of the narrative interviews, I described the specificity of two key contexts: (1) the (negative) experience of parentification in the situation of complete takeover of the care of grandchildren, and (2) (positive and negative) aspects of grandparents' occasional participation in family life. The obtained results allow to improve the knowledge about the experiences (needs and difficulties) of prisoners' families, especially focusing on intergenerational relations.

Homestay, Sleepover, and Commensality: Three Intimate Methods in the Study of “Mixed” Families

Scholars most often adopt qualitative data-gathering methods, notably interviews, to access the lifeworld of “mixed” families. Nonetheless, when research questions require vivid details about their lives, other data-collection techniques may be needed. “Intimate” research methods, characterised by proximate contacts and interactions with “mixed” couples and their families, appear particularly useful in this regard. Drawing from ethnographic studies of mixed families of Filipino and Thai migrant women in Belgium and The Netherlands, the present paper unveils the heuristic value of three intimate methods—homestays, sleepovers, and commensality—in perceiving the realities of these women’s couple and family lives. Homestays and sleepovers allow an in-depth understanding of ways of life within homes, interpersonal interactions, and their intricacies. Commensality (i.e., eating together) offers “snapshots” of the lives of mixed families, providing insights complementary to other methods such as interviews. Hence, the three intimate methods explored in this paper are social sites in which one can view details, otherwise invisible or unspoken, of the lives of mixed families, ranging from power dynamics to intergenerational relations, from the family’s social class status and cross-border social ties to emotional situations.

“My children,” “my grandchildren”: Navigating intergenerational ambivalence in grandparent childcare arrangements in Hong Kong

AbstractObjectiveThis study contributes in‐depth knowledge about informal childcare and family processes in East Asian families in Hong Kong in a time of rapid economic and social development. We explore how families negotiate grandparent childcare and how parents and grandparents manage intergenerational tensions and conflict.BackgroundThe common way of understanding intergenerational relationships in childcare is to focus on the positive experience of taking care of grandchildren, but there is limited discussion on the tension and conflicts that also occur between the generations.MethodThis qualitative study is based on in‐depth interviews with 14 parents and 12 grandparents about childcare arrangements for 53 children within East Asian families in Hong Kong.ResultsTensions are found among the parents and grandparents in childcare provision, and considerable negotiation and ongoing emotional management of relationships is required.ConclusionGrandparent childcare is an important resource for many families, but it might not suit all. The issues of autonomy, seniority, power, respect, and different expectations of care are embedded in established family dynamics. Some intergenerational problems are unable to be settled by the family members.ImplicationsGrandparent childcare should be a care option provided for families with young children. However, it should not be a substitute for childcare services and supports outside the home. Professional family services also should be sensitive to intergenerational family dynamics.

What is Intergenerational Storytelling? Defining the Critical Issues for Aging Research in the Humanities

Intergenerational storytelling (IGS) has recently emerged as an arts- and humanities-focused approach to aging research. Despite growing appeal and applications, however, IGS methods, practices, and foundational concepts remain indistinct. In response to such heterogeneity, our objective was to comprehensively describe the state of IGS in aging research and assess the critical (e.g., conceptual, ethical, and social justice) issues raised by its current practice. Six databases (PsycINFO, MEDLINE, PubMed, Scopus, AgeLine, and Sociological s) were searched using search terms relating to age, intergenerational, story, and storytelling. Peer-reviewed, English-language studies conducted with participants residing in non-clinical settings were included. One thousand one hundred six (1106) studies were initially retrieved; 70 underwent full review, and 26 fulfilled all inclusion criteria. Most studies characterized IGS as a practice involving older adults (> 50 years old) and conventionally-aged postsecondary/college students (17–19 years old). Typical methodologies included oral and, in more recent literature, digital storytelling. Critical issues included inconsistently reported participant data, vast variations in study design and methods, undefined key concepts, including younger vs. older cohorts, generation, storytelling, and whether IGS comprised an intentional research method or a retrospective outcome. While IGS holds promise as an emerging field of arts- and humanities-based aging research, current limitations include a lack of shared data profiles and comparable study designs, limited cross-cultural representation, and insufficiently intersectional analysis of widespread IGS practices. To encourage more robust standards for future study design, data collection, and researcher reflexivity, we propose seven evidence-based recommendations for evolving IGS as a humanities-based approach to research in aging and intergenerational relations.

Role modeling or reciprocity? Dyadic intergenerational transfer analysis of efficacy and support

AbstractObjectiveThis study examined intergenerational transmission of family members' mutual support and family efficacy beliefs.BackgroundWhile social exchange theory assumes that reciprocity guides intergenerational transfers, social cognitive theory posits that family efficacy beliefs and behaviors may be acquired from vicarious experiences. This study examined these perspectives and considered cultural context and value orientations.MethodA total of 1061 parent–adult child dyads were drawn from 2018 data of the Panel Study of Family Dynamics (Taiwan). The actor–partner interdependence model (APIM) and path modeling were used for statistical analysis.ResultsAfter controlling for demographic effects, parents' parental efficacy, rather than filial efficacy, was the key contributor to adult children's filial efficacy. No significant association was observed between adult children's and parents' upward support. Considering support type, emotional connection and housework help showed strong positive intergenerational relations. Financial provisions mainly related to filial norms.ConclusionRole modeling had a weak effect; the results are primarily consistent with the reciprocal perspective on intergenerational relations.ImplicationsAlthough family ethics still deeply pervade Taiwanese society, parent–adult child mutual engagement, in addition to resources and demands, seems crucial for perceived family efficacy and mutual support. This study incorporates psychological factors to further explain the relationship between family efficacy and support.

Differences in leisure time across middle‐generation adults in Wroclaw, Poland: Examining the usefulness of the “sandwich generation” category

AbstractObjectiveResearch objectives were (a) to determine the amount of leisure time available to middle‐generation adults (35–54 years of age) and (b) to explore the relationship between leisure time and sociodemographic variables (gender, age, work status, marital status, and number of children).BackgroundAn adequate amount of leisure time is an important lifestyle element, significantly determining overall health. Considerable leisure‐time deficits currently observed in developed economies are related to significant change in intergenerational relations within families.MethodIn 2018, a study was carried out on the population of adult inhabitants of Wroclaw, Poland (N = 898). The survey method was used based on an interview questionnaire as the research tool.ResultsHalf of the respondents declared less than 20 hours of leisure time per week. Deficits of leisure time affect mainly people aged 35 to 54 years, with women being more affected than men. Moreover, the amount of leisure time in the middle generation of Wroclaw inhabitants declines as people become more involved in their careers (a statistically significant relationship).ConclusionIt seems reasonable to undertake and improve the analysis of leisure time in the context of the middle‐generation adult who may be experiencing thesandwich generationphenomenon.ImplicationsThere is a need to implement social and health‐oriented interventions to counteract leisure‐time deficits among the middle generation, with a particular emphasis on the social situation of women.

The Age-Old Problem of LGBTQ Representation: Ageing, Intergenerational Relations and Queerness in Galician Literature

When the question of ageing in Galicia, as elsewhere in Spain, is reduced to a ‘problem’ for political geographers and policy makers, we fail to consider the value of intergenerational relationships, and the role these play in the transmission of cultural and historical memory. This article looks to contemporary literary works to analyse the ways in which queer Galician men create complex, alternative intergenerational ‘carescapes’ within their families. By caring for older and younger relatives, the men in these works both challenge and queer conceptualizations of masculinity, ageing and the family.

Filial Piety, Generativity and Older Adults' Wellbeing and Loneliness in Denmark and China.

The article considers the potential of intergenerational encounters and family and social ties for alleviating loneliness and promoting older adults’ wellbeing. Loneliness has been widely recognized as one of the factors that are most deeply and pervasively detrimental to older adults’ wellbeing. We combine theoretical reflections with a comparative study of older adults in Denmark and China. Both countries have to deal with an aging population and growing number of cases of isolation and loneliness in an increasingly individualized society. They differ, however, with regard to how far they have developed a system of institutionalized care, as well as with regard to their culture-specific views of family life and parent-child relationships. We apply the notions of filial piety, known from Confucian philosophy but often misinterpreted as conservative and conformist, and generativity, to qualitative studies of older adults in Denmark and China. The great potential of intergenerational ties is confirmed. Our study also shows that filial piety is still highly valued, in both China and Denmark, and can be maintained even in a highly individualized society. There is, however, considerable uncertainty among both older adults and their younger relatives as to what is required and what can be expected; realism, and an emphasis on the quality, rather than the quantity of interaction, may be sensible coping strategies, but can also lead to unnecessary acquiescence and self-abnegation. Our study also serves to distinguish different aspects and effects on wellbeing of intergenerational relationships.

Change in Maladaptive Behavior Affects Intergenerational Relationships in Fragile X Syndrome.

This study investigated the bidirectional effects of change in maladaptive behaviors among adolescents and adults with fragile X syndrome (FXS) and change in their intergenerational family relationships over a 7.5-year period. Indicators of the intergenerational family relationship between premutation carrier mothers and their adolescent or adult son/daughter with FXS included a measure of the quality of the relationship, as well as descriptions provided by mothers of their relationship with their son/daughter (positive remarks, critical remarks). Maladaptive behaviors decreased, maternal positive remarks increased, and maternal critical remarks and relationship quality remained stable over time. Bidirectional effects of change were observed in predicting maladaptive behaviors and maternal positive remarks, although maladaptive behaviors more strongly predicted positive remarks than the reciprocal association. This research suggests prioritizing maladaptive behaviors in the context of family interventions.

The roles of ethnic identity and stressors in natural mentoring support among Latinx adolescents

This study explored whether Latinx adolescents’ ethnic identity and stressful experiences predicted characteristics of their naturally-occurring mentoring relationships with non-parental adults. Ninth-grade Latinx students completed surveys about ethnic identity, stress exposure, and their natural mentoring relationships during 9th and 10th grade. Youth who showed greater ethnic identity exploration in 9th grade perceived more support from mentors who were family members at follow-up. In addition, Latinx youth who experienced more stressors were less likely to identify familial mentors and to retain familial and Latinx mentors from baseline to follow-up. Youth who were exposed to more stressors also reported receiving significantly more support from their natural mentors at follow-up, but this association was only observed for non-Latinx mentors. Findings are some of the first to identify predictors of mentor retention and perceived mentoring relationship support among Latinx youth, and have implications for understanding intergenerational relationships that may promote resilience in this population.

Intergeneric relationships within the tribe Alsineae (Caryophyllaceae) as inferred from nrDNA ITS and cpDNArps16 sequences: A step toward a phylogenetically based generic system

AbstractThe tribe Alsineae is a large monophyletic group in the family Caryophyllaceae especially found across Eurasia and the Americas, but with a center of diversity in the Mediterranean region. Several previous molecular phylogenetic studies have focused on the delimitation of genera and tribes of Caryophyllaceae, especially the subfamily Alsinoideae or the tribe Alsineae in a broader sense than now recognized. However, there are still many open questions regarding the subdivision of the tribe and genus delimitation. In the present study, we sampled 191 (148 species) and 149 (125 species) accessions of Alsineae representing almost all (Adenonema and Pseudocerastium were not available to us) recognized genera in the tribe for nuclear DNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and plastid marker rps16 sequences, respectively. A combined matrix of 103 species was built for taxa with both sequences available. Maximum parsimony and Bayesian inference analyses retrieved Cerastium and Stellaria (including Myosoton) as the largest monophyletic genera, while other genera were medium‐sized (10–20 spp.) or small (<10 spp.). Our expanded sampling of Pseudostellaria and its relatives suggests a broader circumscription of this genus. Major divergence in morphology, particularly of the seeds, observed in the “Protostellaria”‐clade, allows recognition of some taxonomic changes. A total of 16 genera are recognized in Alsineae including Cerastium, Dichodon, Hartmaniella, Holosteum, Lepyrodiclis, Mesostemma, Moenchia, Nubelaria, Odontostemma, Pseudostellaria, Rabelera, Schizotechium, Shivparvatia, and Stellaria, along with Adenonema and Pseudocerastium that could not be analyzed and are, therefore, kept as distinct genera. A diagnostic key to these genera, as well as notes on their relationships, distribution, and nomenclature, is provided.

Linking ages – un/doing age and family in the Covid-19 pandemic

Objective: In this paper we ask how and through which social practices age and family are relationally being un/done in the course of the pandemic in Germany, and how these un/doings shape, shift or even break intergenerational relations.
 Background: The spread of the coronavirus and the attempts of governments to slow it down are severely affecting livelihoods worldwide. The institutionalised ageism underlying these government measures affects the youngest and oldest in society in particular (Ayalon et al. 2020; van Dyk et al. 2020). Intergenerational relations of social reproduction enacted, inter alia, through practices of eldercare, grandparenting, or voluntary work, are significantly limited in the current pandemic, as older adults are framed as an 'at-risk group', children as 'silent transmitters', and young adults as a 'risky group' (Ayalon et al. 2020; Stokes & Patterson 2020). These constructions contribute to the constitution, stabilisation and 'doing' of age in the pandemic.
 Method: We present findings from longitudinal research that was conducted through qualitative, problem-centred interviews between March 2020 and February 2021 with persons of different ages living in different household and care constellations in Germany.
 Results: Whereas in non-pandemic times doing age can be constitutive for doing family – as a constellation traditionally perceived to comprise multiple generations – we see the opposite happening in the pandemic: as age-based government measures to contain the spread of the virus limit intergenerational relations, older adults face the risk of being excluded from families. Hence, doing age can lead to a redoing or even an undoing of family.
 Conclusion: The paper outlines the potential of a 'linking ages' approach for the study of family lives and of intergenerational relations in times of crises.

Intergenerational care in corona times: Practices of care in Swedish families during the pandemic

Objective: This paper analyses intergenerational relationships in Sweden during the corona pandemic, with a special focus on practices of care. The research question is: How is care between generations – between grandparents, adult children and grandchildren – done during pandemic conditions?
 Background: In Sweden, where an extensive welfare state provides affordable child- and eldercare, the corona strategy of generational separation has still affected family practices of care between generations. In this article we analyse narratives of intergenerational care, taking our point of departure in theories of personal life (Smart 2007), relationality (Mason 2004), and care as sentient activity (Mason 1996).
 Method: The paper draws on a qualitative interview study with grandparents (n=30), adult children (n=12) and grandchildren (n=12), with data collection taking place shortly before and during the coronavirus pandemic.
 Results: The study detects the reciprocal and complex ways in which care between generations takes place. When people relate their experiences, strategies for new ways of doing care are at the centre, involving creative ways of negotiating distance and risk, all marked by both worry and relief.
 Conclusion: The pandemic condition becomes a "filter" affecting and leading to a reformulation of practices of care, from taken-for-granted co-presence narratives, into narratives of relational participation resulting in an overall heightened awareness of the importance and difficulties of intergenerational care practices. The study concludes that a strong welfare state does not translate into complete autonomy or independence; rather, people continue to live "linked lives".

The COVID-19 pandemic and changes in the level of contact between older parents and their non-coresident children: A European study

Objective: The present study aims to investigate changes in the frequency of parent-child contact among Europeans aged 65 years and over within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, while recognizing heterogeneity within the group of older adults.
 Background: Physical distancing measures have been implemented worldwide to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although this policy has proven to be effective in flattening the curve, it undoubtedly posed a serious challenge to intergenerational relations. Experts hinted that physical distancing measures may have reduced older adults’ level of contact with their non-coresident children. However, empirical evidence is lacking.
 Method: Data from the SHARE COVID-19 questionnaire and previous SHARE waves for 26,077 individuals from 26 European countries and Israel were used and analyzed using multilevel multinomial logistic regression analysis.
 Results: The analysis revealed that older adults’ level of intergenerational contact remained stable or even increased – rather than decreased – during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the overall positive outcome, some subgroups (i.e., older men, residents of nursing homes, less educated older adults and older adults living in countries with less stringent COVID-19 measures) were more likely to report reduced intergenerational contact.
 Conclusion: Although variation was observed among older adults, the pandemic generally did not pose a threat to their level of intergenerational contact with non-coresident children.

Phylogenomic analysis of the Neotropical fish subfamily Characinae using ultraconserved elements (Teleostei: Characidae)

Characinae is one of the most species-rich subfamilies of Characidae and holds special taxonomic importance because it includes Charax, type-genus of Characidae and Characiformes. Currently, the monophyly and the hypotheses of intergeneric and interspecific relationships of Characinae are based on a few morphological and molecular studies but all with low species coverage. Given their diversity, taxonomic importance, and the lack of a taxon-dense phylogeny, we sought to buttress the systematic understanding of Characinae collecting DNA sequence data from ultraconserved elements (UCEs) of the genome from 98 specimens covering 57 species (61%) plus 17 characiforms as outgroups. We used maximum likelihood, Bayesian inference, and coalescent-based species tree approaches and the resulting phylogeny with 1,300 UCE loci (586,785 characters) reinforced the monophyly of the subfamily as well as of six genera: Acestrocephalus, Charax, Cynopotamus, Galeocharax, Phenacogaster, and Roeboides. The phylogeny provides a hypothesis of intergeneric and interspecific relationships for the subfamily with Phenacogaster sister to all genera, and Acanthocharax sister to Cynopotamini (Cynopotamus (Acestrocephalus Galeocharax)) and Characini (Charax Roeboides). We propose a new tribe Acanthocharacini to allocate Acanthocharax, two subclades for Phenacogaster, two for Cynopotamus, three for Charax, and reinforced the four subclades for Roeboides previously identified by morphological studies. Additionally, we generated a time-calibrated phylogeny for Characinae that suggested an initial diversification during the Miocene at around 19 million years ago and discussed historical biogeographic events for major subclades. The results obtained here will contribute to the development of further research on the evolutionary processes modulating species diversification in Characinae.

The wave cannot catch me: children, place and local knowledge in the Faroe Islands

ABSTRACT This paper – at the intersection of childhood studies, island studies, and geographies of place – explores place and sense of belonging in relation to the childhood memories of people from a Faroese village community in a time of societal shift. It examines and analyses the role of and dynamic connection between everyday life practices, local knowledge, and intra- and intergenerational relations in children's place-making practices and narratives. It aims to scrutinize in which sense the interplay between past and present, and between processes of continuity and discontinuity, in people's childhood narratives reflects their relations to place and ties to the past. It investigates the meaning of the coast and ocean in childhood memories, everyday life activities, and local maritime culture in a village community with strong connection to modern large-scale fisheries. It suggests that children's place-making processes and future orientations are influenced by family relations, social capital, local knowledge, and innovation.

“I don’t know what the world is coming to. Bloody perverts…”: Masculinity and Displacement in Pre-Ceasefire Derry Girls (2018–19)

Although widely applauded for its female centrality, Derry Girls (2018-19) also problematises the displacement of masculine subjectivities in a period when the peace process and the effects of globalisation permeated the renegotiation of the discursive notions of masculinity in Northern Ireland. Intergenerational relations are key to understanding this displacement of male characters like Granda Joe (the hard man), Da Gerry (the new man), or James. With an emphasis on the carnivalesque, liminality, space, and emasculation, this article will investigate the extent to which male characters, who are caught amidst the rapid cultural changes caused by the spatial and cultural negotiations of the ceasefire, represent the collapsing structural dimensions of the social constitution of gender in pre-ceasefire Northern Ireland.

You Are Old, but Are You Out? Intergenerational Contact Impacts on Out-Group Perspective-Taking and on the Roles of Stereotyping and Intergroup Anxiety.

Perspective-taking (PT) is an important ability to imagine the world from another’s point of view. Prior studies have shown that younger adults are more likely to consider the opinions of age-based in-group members relative to out-group members. However, the cause of this priority is still unknown. We conducted three independent studies to explore the effect of intergenerational contact on younger adults’ PT toward older adults and the possible roles of stereotyping and intergroup anxiety. A total of 192 college students completed the Perspective taking Scale in Study 1 after being primed with age-based intergroup relationships. The results indicated that younger adults found it more difficult to take the perspective of older adults than that of their peers. 200 college students completed the Prior Contact Scale, Intergroup Anxiety Scale, Negative Stereotype Scale, and PT Scale in Study 2. The results demonstrated that intergenerational contact improved PT toward older adults by disrupting negative stereotypes, and intergroup anxiety moderated this mediating relationship. A total of 215 college students completed the PT Scale in the context of imagining intergenerational contact in Study 3. Interestingly, imagined contact effectively increased younger adults’ ability to take older adults’ perspectives. The present research verifies that contact is important for influencing younger adults’ emotional (intergroup anxiety) and attitudinal (stereotyping) factors that are critical to improving younger adults’ ability to take older people’s perspectives. This is of great significance for developing harmonious intergenerational relationships.