Effects of acculturation and social exchange on the expectations of filial piety among Hispanic/Latino parents of adult children

Abstract

This study explores the effects of acculturation and social exchange variables on the expectations of filial piety (values and beliefs about parents' care) among Hispanic/Latino parents of adult children. A convenience sample of 318 Hispanics/Latinos with adult children was assembled in Texas and North Carolina, USA, for face-to-face interviews in order to collect information about their families and to assess their expectations of filial piety by their adult children. The number of years in the USA, age, gender, the eldest child's age, and living with a person > or = 65 years of age had significant relationships to scores from a new Spanish version of the Expectations of Filial Piety Scale (EFPS). The significant variables explained 46.3% of the variance in the EFPS scores. A conceptual model that includes both acculturation and social exchange variables is a useful approach for understanding the expectations of filial piety by Hispanic/Latino parents of adult children.

Expectations of Filial Obligation and Their Impact on Preferences for Future Living Arrangements of Middle-Aged and Older Asian Indian Immigrants

“…For example, studies of Dutch elders (Liefbroer and Mulder 2006;de Valk & Schans 2008) found that being female, more educated, and older was related to lower expectations of filial obligation, whereas those from non-Christian religious backgrounds (e.g., Hindus & Muslims) had greater expectations. By contrast, in a sample of Hispanic immigrants in the U.S., Kao and Travis (2005) found that being older, female, and less acculturated was related to increased expectations of filial obligation.…”

Influence of Living Arrangements on the Management and Control of Hypertension: A Mixed-Methods Study of Korean American Elderly

“…However, previous research on variations in expectations of filial obligation among older adults has yielded mixed results. For example, in a sample of Hispanic immigrants in the U.S., Kao and Travis [13] found that being older, female, and less acculturated was related to increased expectations of filial obligation. In contrast, a study of Asian Indian immigrants found no correlations between filial obligation expectations and education or length of residence in the US [14].…”

Medication administration hassles for Mexican American family caregivers of older adults

“…Mexican Americans agree significantly more often than do Anglo Americans that elders should be cared for within the family (Crist et al ., 2006). This cultural tradition is strained, however, by the fact that the members of the younger generation acculturate more quickly than do their parents, resulting in intergenerational gaps in family values and a decrease in the reserves for elder care (Kao & Travis, 2005). The author assumed that the family values of more acculturated MAs tend to change more, leading to their perception that assisting their elders with medication is more of a hassle than for their less acculturated counterparts.…”

“…The gender of the elder and the kinship between the dyad significantly affect the care and support that are given to the elder. Women generally have more advantage over men in receiving support exchanges (Miller & Bermudez, 2004), perhaps because women are more invested and skilled in sustaining emotional ties across generations (Kao & Travis, 2005). When the kinship between the dyad is a parent–child relationship, the elder is more inclined to ask for and receive care from his/her children in return (Kao & Travis, 2005).…”

“…The number of aging MAs in the USA is projected to reach > 13 million by 2050, making them the largest elderly minority group in the country (Villa et al ., 2006). Most MA elders depend heavily on their family for daily care and support (Crist et al ., 2006), according to the traditional family mores (Kao & Travis, 2005). Given their prevalence of chronic illnesses and limited ability to speak English (U.S.…”