Family reciprocity of older Singaporeans

Abstract

Reciprocity is a powerful motivation in social life. We study what older people give to their family for help received. Data are from the Panel on Health and Aging of Singaporean Elderly, Wave 2 (2011; persons aged 62+; N = 3103). Giving and receiving help are with family members other than spouse in the same household, in the past year. Types of help given and received are money, food/clothes/other material goods, housework/cooking, babysitting grandchildren, emotional support/ advice, help for personal care, and help for going out. Multivariate models predict each type of giving help, with independent variables about the older person's resources, needs, and help received. Reciprocity is demonstrated by positive relationships between receiving and giving help. Results show two kinds of reciprocity: "nontangibles for tangibles" and "same for same." First, older people give their time and effort in return for money and material goods. This aligns with contemporary Singapore circumstances, in that older people tend to have ample time but limited financial resources, while family members (often midlife children) have the reverse. Second, same-for-same exchanges, such as housework both given and received, are shared tasks in families or normative behaviors in Singapore society. The results replicate and extend prior ones for Singapore. We discuss prospects for change in frequency and shape of family reciprocity as the state continues to modernize.

Views and experiences of adult children concerning intergenerational relationships with their older kin: a qualitative study from South India

“…A second strategy to deal with the combined challenges of modern work life with traditional care responsibilities also highlighted in the interviews is to focus on the benefits received from their older kin rather than on the difficulties involved in maintaining the intergenerational care relationships. Consistent with the reciprocity patterns highlighted by Verbrugge and Ang (2018), the picture arising from the interviews shows how tangible and intangible support is exchanged between parents and their adult children in multigenerational families in both living arrangements. Focusing on the support received from their parents indeed helps to put the burden in perspective, according to our interviewees, while it gives them some relief.…”

“…Additionally, studies from other countries provide a more nuanced picture and show that traditional norms and emotional bonding in multigenerational families continue to exist despite changing living arrangements (Carpenter, 2001; Marks et al , 2008; Watt et al ., 2014; Bastawrous et al ., 2015). Verbrugge and Ang (2018) give the reciprocity patterns in maritime South-East Asian families, where adult children meet the financial and material needs of older adults for their services to the family through effort and time, as well as mutual exchange of tangible intergenerational support.…”

Protecting vulnerable adults in Singapore: the creation of the Vulnerable Adults Act 2018

“…Population studies in Singapore substantiate evidence of continuing social norms of family reciprocity between generations with normative behaviour of positive relationships between receiving and giving help (Verbrugge and Ang, 2018). Indeed, the MPA shores up this ideology of self-reliance and cultural assumptions (Rozario and Hong, 2011).…”

The Relationship between Social Participation and Subjective Well-Being among Older People in the Chinese Culture Context: The Mediating Effect of Reciprocity Beliefs

“…In addition, empirical research has determined that reciprocity beliefs are associated with both social participation and SWB in older people [ 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 ]. Reciprocity beliefs refer to individual’s idea of reciprocity-based behavior and their expectations that others will engage in such behavior [ 44 ].…”