Intergenerational Transmission Research Articles

The Intergenerational Transfer of Mental Disorders: A Population-Based Multigenerational Linkage Study: Le transfert intergénérationnel des troubles mentaux : une étude sur les liens multigénérationnels basée sur la population.

The aetiology of mental disorders involves genetic and environmental factors, both reflected in family health history. We examined the intergenerational transmission of multiple mental disorders from parents and grandparents using population-based, objectively measured family histories. This population-based retrospective cohort study used administrative healthcare databases in Manitoba, Canada and included adults living in Manitoba from 1977 to 2020 with linkages to at least one parent and one grandparent. Index date was when individuals turned 18 or 1 April 1977, whichever occurred later. Mental disorder diagnoses (mood and anxiety, substance use and psychotic disorders) were identified in individuals, parents and grandparents from hospitalization and outpatient records. Cox proportional hazards regression models included sociodemographic characteristics, individual's comorbidity and mental disorder history in a grandparent, mother and father. Of 109,359 individuals with no mental disorder prior to index date, 47.1% were female, 36.3% had a mental disorder during follow-up, and 90.9% had a parent or grandparent with a history of a mental disorder prior to the index date. Both paternal and maternal history of a mental disorder increased the risk of the disorder in individuals. Psychotic disorders had the strongest association with parental history and were mostly influenced by paternal (hazards ratio [HR] 3.73, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.99 to 4.64) compared to maternal history (HR 2.23, 95% CI, 1.89 to 2.64). Grandparent history was independently associated with the risk of all mental disorders but had the strongest influence on substance use disorders (HR 1.42, 95% CI, 1.34 to 1.50). Parental history of mental disorders was associated with an increased risk of all mental disorders. Grandparent history of mental disorders was associated with a small risk increase of the disorders above and beyond parental history influence. This three-generation study further highlights the need for family-based interventional programs in families affected by mental disorders. The Intergenerational Transfer of Mental Illnesses.

Linked lives: intergenerational transmission of labour-market pathways between parent dyads and children

While a vast number of studies confirm the transmission of labour-market disadvantages from one generation to the next, less is known about how parents’ interconnected labour-market pathways co-evolve and shape the opportunities and obstacles for their children’s future careers. This study uses a multidimensional view of intergenerational transmission by describing the most typical pathways of parents’ occupational careers and assesses how these patterns are associated with their children’s labour-market outcomes. Drawing on Swedish longitudinal register data, we used multichannel sequence analysis to follow a cohort of people born in 1985 (n = 72,409) and their parents across 26 years. We identified four parental earning models, differentiating between (1) dual earners with high wages, (2) dual earners with low-wage, (3) one-and-a-half-earners and (4) mother as the main breadwinner. Regression analysis shows strong intergenerational transmission among the most advantageous trajectories, with education as a key determinant for young people to become less dependent on family resources. This study stresses the importance of intra-couple perspectives in life course research to understand how inequalities are shaped and preserved across generations.

Intergenerational Transmission and Rental Occupancy Behavior in Family Firms

Intergenerational Transmission and Rental Occupancy Behavior in Family Firms

Intergenerational transmission of social memory: a narrative review1

Societies employ mechanisms to pass on their knowledge through generations. The intergenerational transmission of social memory has become a relatively recent field, gaining increased interest over the past four decades. This article provides a narrative review of the literature on this topic. Findings reveal that memory transmission is influenced by factors that either facilitate or hinder discussions about the past within the family environment. These factors include silence, emotion, the contingency of daily communication and social-level memory characteristics. While official memory often prevails over family memory, the richness of family narratives lies in their ability to offer unique perspectives that may contradict official accounts. The study concludes that family memories may be at a higher risk of fading into social silence and oblivion. Intergenerational memory thrives when there is a plurality of memories within the broader society, emphasising the importance of diverse perspectives in preserving collective memory.

‘A Return, a Mirror, a Photograph’: Return Journeys, Material Culture and Intergenerational Transmission in a Greek Cypriot Refugee Family

During times of war, displaced families carry various material items that later serve as means for preserving the memories of lost homes and maintaining a sense of identity. In divided Cyprus, the use of material objects by people displaced before and during the 1974 Turkish invasion has been influenced by the opening of checkpoints between the two sides in 2003. This paper explores how different generations in my family reacted to and interpreted the rediscovery of a lost material item—a handmade mirror piece—during the return journey. It discusses how my mother located the item, photographed it, and placed its photograph in the family’s photographic archive. During the research project upon which this paper follows from, both items re-emerged through my mother’s storytelling about her experience of return, transforming the project into a form of intergenerational transmission. The paper portrays how the storytelling about the mirror piece and its photograph was interpreted differently by me and my mother, influenced by the different politics of memory. The paper also showcases the resourcefulness of refugee families in maintaining the memory of their lost homes, which simultaneously reveals their views and hopes regarding the political future of the island.

Relationality in Indigenous Climate Change Education Research: A Learning Journey from Indigenous Communities in Bangladesh

Abstract This article explores my relational learning reflections with the Laitu Khyeng Indigenous community in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT), Bangladesh, focusing on Indigenous perspectives on climate change education. Implementing a relational theoretical framework, I share my reflections on relational learning in this research as part of being accountable to the Indigenous community. Through exploring Indigenous land-based climate change research, five central themes emerge Indigenous land rights, relationship with the environment, community-led relationality as collaboration, intergenerational relational knowledge and relationality as ethical reciprocity. The findings explore the intrinsic connection between Indigenous communities and their ancestral territories, emphasising the significance of upholding Indigenous sovereignty over land for sustainable adaptation to climate change. In this article, I highlight the importance of relational learning as a form of education, fostering resilience rooted in preserving traditional practices and spaces. Relationality with the environment is central to Indigenous climate education, promoting understanding and reciprocity with the land. In my learning, I learned that community dynamics and collaborative learning are essential for effective climate education, emphasising collective action and diverse perspectives. In relational learning, inter-generational knowledge transmission ensures the preservation and sharing of traditional land-based knowledge across generations, forming the foundation for sustainable adaptation strategies. Ethical engagement and reciprocity guide research interactions, emphasising mutual respect and cultural sensitivity. By centring Indigenous perspectives and knowledge systems, this study advocates for community-led approaches to climate change education, fostering resilience and environmental stewardship within Indigenous communities.

Intergenerational Transmission of Social Anxiety: The Role of Parents’ Fear of Negative Child Evaluation and Their Self-Referent and Child-Referent Interpretation Biases

Abstract Purpose Parents’ fear of negative evaluation (FNE), fear of negative child evaluation (FNCE; parents’ fear that their child is evaluated negatively by others), and self- and child-referent negative interpretation biases have been proposed to play a role in the intergenerational transmission of social anxiety. In this cross-sectional study, we tested whether parents’ self-reported FNE and self-referent interpretation bias, as well as their FNCE and child-referent interpretation bias, statistically mediated the relationship between parent social anxiety and parent-reported child social anxiety. Methods A total of 179 parents of 13–16-year-old adolescents completed questionnaires concerning own social anxiety, their FNE, and FNCE and their child’s social anxiety. Parents’ self- and child-referent interpretation biases were measured using scenario completion and memory recognition tasks. Results Parents’ FNCE partially statistically mediated the relationship between parent and child social anxiety. Parents’ FNE and their self- and child-referent interpretation biases did, however, not statistically mediate this relationship. Conclusions Parents’ FNCE does, but their FNE and self- and child-referent interpretation biases do not seem to play a role in the intergenerational transmission of social anxiety. Hence, parents’ FNCE might be a promising target for clinical practice while designing therapies and interventions concerning child social anxiety.

Role of Maternal Adverse Childhood Experiences on Infant Neglect: A Multi-Perspective Approach.

We explored the intergenerational transmission effects of maternal adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and infant neglect from multiple perspectives. The study included a sample of postpartum mothers and infants (N = 550) from the outpatient child health care department of a tertiary hospital in Jinan, Shandong Province, China. Our investigation followed three main lines of inquiry. First, the association of overall maternal ACEs with infant neglect was estimated. Secondly, the cumulative and independent effects of maternal ACEs on infant neglect were explored using the Adverse Childhood Experience Questionnaire-Revised (ACEQ-R) with 14 types of ACEs. Finally, the different patterns of 14 maternal ACEs were identified, and the association between the different patterns and infant neglect was explored. There were three main findings. First, infants born to mothers with ACEs experienced higher levels of neglect compared to those born to mothers without ACEs. Second, infants born to mothers with three or more subtypes of ACEs experienced the greatest levels of neglect, with maternal childhood physical neglect emerging as a particularly influential factor. Third, infants in the "median maternal ACEs" and "high maternal neglect and poor peer relationship" groups experienced more severe neglect than those in the "low maternal ACEs" group. These results suggest that early life experiences substantially shape future parenting behaviors, such as infant neglect.

Young Children of Mothers with a History of Depression Show Attention Bias to Sad Faces: An Eye-tracking Study.

Maternal depression is a predictor of the emergence of depression in the offspring. Attention bias (AB) to negative emotional stimuli in children may serve as a risk factor for children of depressed parents. The present study aimed to examine the effect of maternal major depressive disorder (MDD) history on AB to emotional faces in children at age four, before the age of onset for full-blown psychiatric symptoms. The study also compared AB patterns between mothers and their offspring. Fifty-eight mothers and their four-year-old children participated in this study, of which 27 high-risk (HR) children had mothers with MDD during their children's lifetime. Attention to emotional faces was measured in both children and their mothers using an eye-tracking visual search task. HR children exhibited faster detection and longer dwell time toward the sad than happy target faces. The low-risk (LR) children also displayed a sad bias but to a lesser degree. Children across both groups showed AB towards angry target faces, likely reflecting a normative AB pattern. Our findings indicate that AB to sad faces may serve as an early marker of depression risk. However, we provided limited support for the mother-child association of AB. Future research is needed to examine the longitudinal intergenerational transmission of AB related to depression and possible mechanisms underlying the emergence of AB in offspring of depressed parents.

Intergenerational transmission of brain structure and function in humans: a narrative review of designs, methods, and findings.

Children often show cognitive and affective traits that are similar to their parents. Although this indicates a transmission of phenotypes from parents to children, little is known about the neural underpinnings of that transmission. Here, we provide a general overview of neuroimaging studies that explore the similarity between parents and children in terms of brain structure and function. We notably discuss the aims, designs, and methods of these so-called intergenerational neuroimaging studies, focusing on two main designs: the parent-child design and the multigenerational design. For each design, we also summarize the major findings, identify the sources of variability between studies, and highlight some limitations and future directions. We argue that the lack of consensus in defining the parent-child transmission of brain structure and function leads to measurement heterogeneity, which is a challenge for future studies. Additionally, multigenerational studies often use measures of family resemblance to estimate the proportion of variance attributed to genetic versus environmental factors, though this estimate is likely inflated given the frequent lack of control for shared environment. Nonetheless, intergenerational neuroimaging studies may still have both clinical and theoretical relevance, not because they currently inform about the etiology of neuromarkers, but rather because they may help identify neuromarkers and test hypotheses about neuromarkers coming from more standard neuroimaging designs.

The dynamics of language shifts in migrant communities: Implications for social integration and cultural preservation

This study examines language shifts within migrant communities, focusing on the social and cultural implications of adopting a new dominant language while maintaining heritage languages. It explores the impact of these dynamics on community cohesion, identity, and intergenerational communication. The paper also discusses the role of educational and social policies in supporting multilingualism and cultural diversity as assets in the integration process. This paper delves into the multifaceted dynamics of language shifts within migrant populations and examines their profound implications for social integration and cultural preservation. Migrant communities undergo a complex linguistic adaptation process influenced by various factors, including historical contexts, socio-economic conditions, and government policies. The phenomenon of language shift, wherein migrants gradually adopt the dominant language of the host country while potentially losing proficiency in their native language, represents a fundamental aspect of this adaptation process. This paper explores the nuanced interplay between linguistic assimilation and cultural retention among migrants, highlighting the intricate mechanisms through which language shapes their sense of belonging and cultural identity. Language is a gateway to social integration, facilitating interactions with the host society and enhancing access to employment, education, and public services. However, the pursuit of linguistic assimilation often entails challenges such as discrimination, linguistic barriers, and feelings of alienation, posing significant obstacles to migrants' integration efforts. Moreover, the erosion of native languages within migrant communities can engender a sense of loss and disconnection from cultural heritage, raising concerns about preserving linguistic diversity and intergenerational transmission of cultural knowledge. This paper examines the role of language policies and educational initiatives in shaping language dynamics within migrant communities. Government interventions, ranging from language proficiency requirements for citizenship to bilingual education programs, profoundly influence migrants' linguistic trajectories and cultural adaptation experiences. Keywords: Language, Communities, Social Integration, Cultural Preservation, Policies, Multiculturalism.

The effect of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution on health inequality: an intergenerational perspective.

Air pollution poses a serious challenge to public health and simultaneously exacerbating regional & intergenerational health inequality. This research introduces PM2.5 pollution into the intergenerational health transmission model, and estimates its impact on health inequality in China using Ordered Logit Regression (OLR) and Multi-scale Geographically Weighted Regression (MGWR) model. The results indicate that PM2.5 pollution exacerbate the intergenerational health inequality, and its impacts show inconsistency across family income levels, parental health insurance status, and area of residence. Specifically, it is more difficult for offspring in low-income families to escape from the influence of unhealthy family to become upwardly mobile. Additionally, this health inequality is more significant in households in which at least one parent does not have health insurance. Moreover, the intergenerational solidification caused by PM2.5 pollution is higher in the east and lower in the west. Both the PM2.5 level and solidification effect are high in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, Yangtze River Delta region and central areas of China, which is the focus of air pollution management. These findings suggest that more emphasis should be placed on family-based health promotion. In areas with high PM2.5 pollution levels, resources, subsidies and air pollution protection should be provided for less healthy families with lower incomes and no health insurance.

Inheriting housing inequality: Parental homeownership and place of origin as key factors for homeownership in Japanese metropolitan areas

The term “housing ladder” refers to the phenomenon of people moving from one housing type to another according to changing demands of different life stages. This phenomenon is observed in many countries and is known as the Jutaku Sugoroku Paradigm in the Japanese context. This study aims to clarify whether adult children's access to homeownership might be affected by their parents' homeownership and their place of origin. Questionnaire Data from a survey across Japan's two largest metropolitan areas, Tokyo and Osaka, were analyzed by combining crosstabulations and a binomial logit model. The results revealed that individuals are more likely to attain homeownership if they come from a metropolitan area and if their home of origin is an owner-occupied house. These findings suggest that housing inequality is being passed on to the next generation by parents' homeownership status and residential location. Japanese housing policies that promote private ownership of housing may reinforce these inequalities. The study concludes that Japan experiences the same intergenerational transmission of housing inequality due to homeownership as other countries, whereas place of origin was an additional factor for homeownership in the Japanese context.

Intergenerational Transmission of Maternal Life Stress and Sleep on Infant Neural Circuits and Behavioral Outcomes

Intergenerational Transmission of Maternal Life Stress and Sleep on Infant Neural Circuits and Behavioral Outcomes

Daughter circumcision and maternal life satisfaction: a cultural moderation effect revealed across two multicountry studies

IntroductionThe present paper assessed the relationship between maternal life satisfaction (MLS) and the intergenerational transmission of female genital cutting (FGC, female circumcision). It was hypothesised that the association would be...

Ruby Rich’s Dream Library: Feminist Memory-Keeping as an Archive of Affective Mnemonic Practices

In the so-called West, feminist activists and scholars have long been traumatised by the erasure of their histories via dominant patriarchal narratives, which has served as an impediment to the intergenerational transmission of feminist knowledge. Recently, while acknowledging the very real and ongoing impact of this historical omission, some feminists have issued a call to turn away from a narrative of women’s history as ‘serial forgetting’ and towards an acknowledgement of the affirmative capacity of feminist remembering. At the same time, memory theorist Ann Rigney has advocated for a ‘positive turn’ in memory studies, away from what she perceives to be the field’s gravitation towards trauma and instead towards an analysis of life’s positive legacies. In this article, I combine both approaches to investigate one feminist memory-keeper’s archive, analysing what it reveals about ‘the mechanisms by which positive attachments are transmitted across space and time’. Throughout her life, little-known ‘between-the-waves’ Australian feminist Ruby Rich (1888–1988) performed multiple intersecting activist activities. While she created feminist memories through her work for various political organisations, she also collected, stored and transmitted feminist memories through her campaign for a dedicated space for women’s collections in the National Library of Australia. Propelled by fear of loss and inspired by hope for remembering, Rich constructed a brand of archival activism that was both educational and emotional. In this paper, I examine the strategies Rich employed to try to realise her dream of effecting intellectual and affective bonds between future feminists and their predecessors.

The effects of mother's schooling on next generation’s schooling: evidence from Bangladesh

PurposeThis paper aims to find the effects of mothers’ schooling on child schooling.Design/methodology/approachThis paper uses Bangladesh's Household Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES), which is a nationally representative survey. It employs the instrumental variable technique to estimate the intergenerational model.FindingsInterestingly, the results show that the intergenerational transmission of schooling from mothers is slightly higher than that of fathers in Bangladesh.Research limitations/implicationsEstimating the intergenerational model is challenging due to the endogeneity issue. The methodology used in this paper may help to find similar evidence from other countries.Practical implicationsThe findings of the study may help to design and evaluate the educational policies in Bangladesh or a country like Bangladesh. For instance, the results of this paper suggest that the female stipend program (FSP) in Bangladesh is effective for the next generation’s schooling.Originality/valueThis paper is among the first to analyze the effect of mother’s schooling on the child’s schooling, controlling the father’s education and other household characteristics. In addition, it controls for endogeneity bias due to genetic transmission.Peer reviewThe peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-06-2023-0491

Digital technologies and reported language practices in Russophone families in Estonia, Germany, and Sweden

Forty-five Russophone families in Estonia, Germany and Sweden answered semi-structured questionnaires about their sociolinguistic characteristics and participated in in-depth interviews regarding language use, language transmission and maintenance, and attitudes to all these processes. This comparative analysis of the family context helps to explain the variation in the development of linguistic identities and language-use strategies. We identified clear similarities and differences between these families, especially regarding reported digital language practices among immigrant families. The data analysis showed that the use of digital technologies has an impact on the reported language practices among the families but not necessarily on the use of Russian as a heritage language. Most families highlighted the intensification of internet-based communication with extended family members and the supportive effect of digital technologies on intergenerational heritage language transmission, since younger family members gained more access to Russian via the internet. But the role of digital technologies alone is limited when it comes to intergenerational heritage language transmission and other factors, such as the efforts of parents and the agency of children, seem to be more important. Still, the joint use of digital technologies has a positive effect, especially in those families where the children are actively involved in digital communication.

The long-term effects of natural disasters on human capital accumulation: a quasi-natural experiment based on the Yellow River floodplain area

Abstract This study exploits the correlation between Yellow River flooding and human capital accumulation using county-level data from Anhui, Hebei, Henan, Jiangsu, and Shandong provinces in China. Employing a spatial regression discontinuity approach, we compare the differences in human capital accumulation within and beyond the Yellow River floodplain areas (YRFA). Empirical results show human capital accumulation in the YRFA is at least 12.1 percent lower than outside the YRFA. Furthermore, our results demonstrate intergenerational transmission and gender differences in the negative impact of the Yellow River flooding on human capital accumulation. The baseline specifications of this study are not affected by drought and overall natural disasters. This paper documents historical human capital accumulation, clan power, and social trust, through which Yellow River flooding has a long-term impact.

The Intergenerational Transmission of Health Disadvantage: Can Education Disrupt It?

In low-income countries, intergenerational processes can culminate in the replication of extreme forms of health disadvantage between mothers and adult daughters, including experiencing a young child's death. The preventable nature of most child deaths raises questions of whether social resources can protect women from enduring this adversity like their mothers. This study examined whether education-widely touted as a vehicle for social mobility in resource-poor countries-disrupts the intergenerational cycle of maternal bereavement. We estimated multilevel discrete-time survival models of women's hazard of child loss using Demographic and Health Survey Program data (N = 195,744 women in 345 subnational regions in 32 African countries). Women's educational attainment minimizes the salience of their mothers' bereavement history for their own probability of child loss; however, mothers' background becomes irrelevant only among women with ≥10 years of schooling. Education's neutralizing influence is most prominent in the highest mortality-burdened communities.