How demographic patterns and social policies shape interdependence among lives in the family realm

Abstract

Our starting point is that a social psychological approach dominates the literature on interdependent or "linked" lives (Elder, 1994). We argue that interdependence is not only social-psychological, but is also structured on a macro-level. More specifically, we illustrate ways in which demographic change, such as increased co-longevity, creates different opportunities for interdependence for men and women. In addition, we draw attention to the role of national policies, distinguishing ways in which legislation mandates generational interdependence (e.g., legal obligations to provide financial support), blocks generational interdependence (e.g., grandparents not granted the right to raise grandchildren when parents cannot provide adequate care; migration laws not granting temporary visits to enable the provision of care), generates generational interdependence (e.g., daddy quota), and lightens generational interdependence (e.g., less reliance on grandparental care in Northern and Western Europe due to public support to parents of young children). We pay specific attention to childless men and women, questioning the primacy assigned to kinship ties in health care and long-term support policies. Gender receives consistent consideration throughout the paper.

The Demography of Multigenerational Caregiving: A Critical Aspect of the Gendered Life Course

“…Multigenerational caregiving is a particularly important issue for aging populations (Dykstra and Hagestad 2016) and, as we argue here, a critical aspect of the gendered life course. Caregiving can have positive effects on both the receiver and giver, for example increasing emotional closeness (Rossi and Rossi 1990), but it can also have negative implications for the caregiver's own needs and resources (de Oliveira et al 2015;Lin et al 2012).…”

Cross-national Differences in Intergenerational Family Relations: The Influence of Public Policy Arrangements

“…Nevertheless, the research community has only started to scratch the surface of how the macro-level welfare regime context shapes mechanisms of transfers at the micro level of family behavior. A key issue concerns generational interdependence ( Dykstra & Hagestad, 2016 ; Hagestad & Dykstra, 2016 ): the extent to which public policy arrangements impose reliance on older and younger family members or enable individual autonomy ( Leitner, 2003 ; Saraceno & Keck, 2010 ; Zagel & Lohmann, 2016 ). Generational interdependence exists when family members of multiple generations are emotionally, financially, practically, and morally reliant on and responsible to each other.…”

Number of children and social contacts among older people: the moderating role of filial norms and social policies

“…Previous literature has highlighted the role of familialisation, i.e., the strength of the legal and normative obligations that underpin intergenerational support (Reher 1998 ; Saraceno and Keck 2010 ). A country’s laws may mandate intergenerational support by imposing legal obligations on adult children to provide their parents with support and care (Dykstra and Hagestad 2016 ). Familialisation may also manifest itself in social norms that shift the responsibility of providing emotional and instrumental support to older people onto their adult children.…”