A life-course approach to co-residence in the Netherlands, 1850–1940

Abstract

In this article, we study variations in co-residence with kin in the Netherlands in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. We use the reconstructed life courses of 17,527 individuals derived from the Historical Sample of the Netherlands (HSN) database. The life-course approach allows us to look at co-residence from the perspectives of both the receiving households and the co-resident kin. What made households take in relatives and do we find a preference for one type of relative over another? What was the background of people who decided to co-reside in another household? How important were family-related ‘altruistic’ motives compared with economic ones? The outcomes suggest the predominance of altruistic motives for co-residence, apart from persistent inheritance customs in the eastern part of the country.

Life and Death of Singles in Dutch Cities, 1850-1940

“…For some parts of our research, we use a slightly smaller dataset consisting of persons who have lived until the age of seventy. In contrast to our earlier work on households, 9 we have not classified households according to a typology but have retained all details on the relationship of co-residing to the research persons. Thus, for every ninety-one days in a person's life course, we have a record with details on the number of sisters, brothers, aunts and uncles, sons and daughters, et cetera.…”

Gender differences in response to family crisis: changes in household composition and migration of widowed parents with minor children in the Netherlands, 1863–1910

“…Nevertheless, predominantly in agricultural areas in the east of the country, couples often formed extended households with their parents or unmarried siblings. It is estimated that around 12% of the households in the entire country were extended households (Kok & Mandemakers, 2010). According to the nuclear hardship hypothesis formulated by Peter Laslett (1988), nonnuclear family structures were better able to cope with mortality crises, and individuals within these settings were more willing to support vulnerable family members.…”

What are the Effects of Doubling Up on Retirement Income and Assets?

“…They have also become somewhat more common due to the increase in the overlap of the number of shared years lived between and among generations (Ruggles, 2003(Ruggles, , 2007. Moreover, there is the availability, number, and hierarchy of kin, i.e., single, divorced, or widowed childless younger adult females have higher odds of coresidence, followed by single, especially teenage, mothers (Aquilino, 1990;Bengtson, 2001;Burr and Mutchler, 1992;Choi, 1997Choi, , 1999aChoi, , 2003Elman and Uhlenberg, 1995;Goldscheider and Bures, 2003;Grundy, 2000;Isengard and Szydlik, 2012;Kok and Mandemakers, 2010;Macunovich et al, 1995;Martin, 1989;Messineo, 2005;Mutchler, 1992;Mutchler and Burr, 1991;Pilkauskas, 2012;Smits et al, 2010;Wilmoth, 2001;Wolf and Soldo, 1988;Zsembik, 1993; see also Chu et al (2011) for the Chinese and Taiwanese traditions). Older seniors are more likely to live in an upwardly extended household as they tend to have a deteriorating health, emerging chronic illness or disability, and/or functional dependence (Burr and Mutchler, 1992;Choi, 1997Choi, , 1999aChoi, , 1999bDunifon, Ziol-Guest, and Kopko, 2014;Elman and Uhlenberg, 1995;Gonzales, 2007;Kamo 2000;Macunovich et al, 1995;Messineo, 2005;Mutchler andBurr, 1991, 2003;Smits et al, 2010;…”

“…However, multigenerational households may also impose economic costs on seniors if relatives do not contribute their fair share to household expenses, called the "burden of dependency" by some (Billings and Blee, 1990, p. 80). Multigenerational households may be established based on the need of one or more parties, showing a possibly complex interplay of exchanges, but also based on altruistic motives (Choi, 2003;Elman and Uhlenberg, 1995;Isengard and Szydlik, 2012;Kok and Mandemakers, 2010;Mutchler, 1992;Mutchler and Baker, 2009;Mutchler andBurr, 1991, 2003;Pilkauskas, 2012;Smits et al, 2010;Zimmer and Dayton, 2005).…”