Childlessness and Intergenerational Transfers in Later Life

Childlessness, parenthood and subjective wellbeing: The relevance of conceptualizing parenthood and childlessness as a continuum.

“…Most importantly, previous studies have consistently documented that the childless are not more likely than parents to be socially isolated in later life (Wenger, 2009). They receive similar -or even a larger -amount of emotional support and help with household chores and paperwork than parents (Albertini & Kohli 2017) and they provide support to others as much as parents or even with greater intensity (Albertini & Kohli 2009;Hurd 2009).…”

“…Schnettler and Wöhler (2016) found that in Germany the characteristics of friendship and support networks of parents with no children living close to them are similar to those of the networks of childless people. Similarly, Albertini and Kohli (2017) reported that parents who have lost contact with their children are more similar to childless people than to other parents in terms of the likelihood of accessing formal care services in later life. Also, elderly fathers who have lost contact or live at great distance from their children -often as a consequence of a divorce in earlier life -are very similar to childless men in terms of the likelihood and intensity of informal social support received.…”

“…The absence of children has been frequently associated, in popular culture and scientific research, with the risks of social isolation and loneliness in later life. Previous studies, however, have shown that the association between childlessness and individuals' wellbeing in old age varies considerably depending on the specific outcome considered, one's sociodemographic characteristics, life-course, and pathway to childlessness (Albertini & Kohli 2017;Dykstra & Hagestad 2007;Dykstra & Keizer 2009). At the same time, most of previous studies have compared parents and non-parents as if parenthood/childlessness were two categories of a dichotomy.…”

Childlessness, geographical proximity and non-family support in 12 European countries

“…In the research on informal help to older individuals, the focus is dichotomously put either on parents and childless individuals, or on parents living at different distances from their adult children (Matthews and Rosner, 1988;Stoller et al, 1992;Litwin, 1994;Stern, 1995;Kiilo et al, 2016). Following the most recent research (Albertini and Kohli, 2017;Albertini and Arpino, 2018), we distinguish between several categories of older persons, that is being childless or a parent and, for the latter, living remotely, closely to or co-residing with a child. By referring to the fact of being childless or a parent, and to the physical distance as dimensions of children's availability, we claim that in terms of informal (unpaid) support, parents not having children in the vicinity bear more resemblance to childless individuals than they do to parents with children living in close proximity.…”

Children’s Living Arrangements after Marital and Cohabitation Dissolution in Europe

“…Parents, especially fathers, who typically lose contact with children after separating from their partner, were also found to benefit from a shared residence, as it is an efficient way of maintaining relationships with children after separation and adjusting to the negative emotional effect of divorce (Bauserman, 2012; Melli & Brown, 2008; Spruijt & Duindam, 2009). Moreover, a less intensive relationship following divorce might lead to social isolation and loneliness in later life (Albertini & Garriga, 2011; Albertini & Kohli, 2017). Shared physical custody can also ease the burden of the amount of care experienced by single parents, as shared parenting can lessen the workload of a particular parent, by distributing childcare and other obligations connected to parenting (e.g., attending school meetings, shopping) more equally (Bauserman, 2012; Breivik & Olweus, 2006; Melli & Brown, 2008).…”