Gifts, Loans and Intergenerational Support for Young Adults

Abstract

Young adults in the UK are increasingly dependent on family support to offset the costs of living independently. This article explores these complex intergenerational exchanges from the perspective of a group of single young adults in their mid-twenties to mid-thirties who had been in receipt of various forms of financial and material support from family members since leaving the parental home. We outline the nature of this support and then consider how these forms of assistance are understood by those in receipt of them. We conclude that the co-existence of a sense of both gratitude and discomfort which is often generated by these exchanges is managed but by no means resolved by a blurring of the boundaries between gifts and loans, a set of negotiations which may not even be an option amongst less advantaged young adults.

‘Generation rent’ and the ability to ‘settle down’: economic and geographical variation in young people’s housing transitions

“…Existing literature has emphasised the importance of family support for facilitating smoother transitions (Heath and Calvert, 2013). Young people without family support who are in precarious employment and/or reliant on benefits face extremely difficult circumstances.…”

“…However, many find that reaching these housing goals takes time and young people require somewhere to live in the meantime (Clapham et al, 2014). Some are able to remain in the parental home or receive financial assistance from their parents to speed up the process of buying a property (Stone, Berrington and Falkingham, 2014;Heath and Calvert, 2013). Those without such parental support are disadvantaged and may be more likely to live in the PRS or face homelessness (McKee and Hoolachan, 2015).…”

Hysteresis: Understanding the Housing Aspirations Gap

“…Our research suggests that those unable to access 'bank of mum and dad' (Heath and Calvert 2013) will have the choice of either private renting or staying at home for longer. Returning to a Bourdieusian perspective these aspirations will, over time, become adjusted to the objective chances of their realisation.…”

Vienos vaikus auginančios motinos ir tarpgeneracinės paramos modeliai Lietuvoje

“…progomis. Tėvai taip pat teikia ir materialias gėrybes: drabužius, baldus, maisto produktus, kelionės bilietus, kurie susiję su tėvų finansiniais ištekliais (Heath, Calvert, 2013;Kim et al, 2012;Česnuitytė et al, 2014;Kanopienė et. al., 2013).…”

“…al., 2013). Ši parama priklauso nuo tėvų ir vaikų socialinių santykių glaudumo (Heath, Calvert, 2013;Kim et al, 2012), tėvų įsipareigojimų ir atsakomybės savo vaikams tęsti finansinę paramą, požiū-rio ir įsitikinimo, jog teikti įvairiapusišką pagalbą vaikams -norma, natū-rali gyvenimo būdo išraiška (Heath, Calvert, 2013). Lietuvoje tėvai remia savo suaugusius vaikus siekdami užtikrinti jų savarankiškumą, materialinę gerovę, sklandų perėjimą į "suaugusiųjų pasaulį", nepabloginant socioekonominės padėties.…”