“I am not Alone”: Intergenerational Solidarity in Three:Generation Households from the Perspective of the Older Generation

Abstract

This article focuses on intergenerational solidarity in three-generation households. Drawing upon in-depth interviews with seven members of the oldest generation cohabiting in a three-generation household, the article investigates the aspects, perceptions, and meanings of intergenerational solidarity. The article is based mainly on the theory of intergenerational solidarity presented by Alice S. Rossi and Peter H. Rossi (1990) and Robert E. L. Bengtson and Vern L. Roberts (1991). We are inspired by the classification of solidarity into seven dimensions – associational solidarity, affectual solidarity, consensual solidarity, functional solidarity, normative solidarity, and intergenerational family structure – and observe these dimensions in the context of three-generation co-living. Using a qualitative approach allows us to capture the emic perspective of the interviewees and their perceptions of intergenerational relations and their position within a three-generation household.

“Everybody Takes Care of Everybody”: Care Circulation and Care Relations in Three-Generation Cohabitation

“…As in the findings of Hortová and Souralová (2019), our analysis of interviews with the first generation demonstrates the appreciation of the simple fact that they are not alone in the house and that there is somebody who would help them if they need it. This need is constructed as something that will come in the future with the growing dependence on other people but it is also needed here and now if something suddenly happens to the currently independent first-generation family member.…”

The effects of adult children's gender composition on the care type and care network of ageing parents

“…On the other hand, improved care services have also enabled many people to access formal care (Da Roit, 2007). Additionally, scholars have observed an increasing trend of parents wishing to be more independent from their adult children in terms of practical support and personal care (Kalmijn, 2014; Hortová and Souralová, 2019). Hortová and Souralová's (2019) qualitative study showed that ageing parents stress the importance of having separate households as well as maintaining their lives without asking for help unless it is necessary.…”