No children in later life, but more and better friends? Substitution mechanisms in the personal and support networks of parents and the childless in Germany

Abstract

Given increases in childlessness, we ask if and how the permanently childless substitute for adult children in their later-life support networks. Previous research finds that they are disadvantaged on several network and support indicators. Yet, the role of different substitution mechanisms remains unclear. We examine two substitution mechanisms: substitution through adjustments of network size/composition and through higher efficiency of personal ties. Data are from the German Ageing Survey (childless: N = ,; parents without/with residentially proximate children: N = ,/,). Our descriptive and regression results on network size/composition and the number of potential informational and emotional supporters show that both mechanisms play a role: the childless have more friends and extended kin, and they are more likely to consider them as potential supporters, than parents. Across cohorts or age groups, the relative effect size of network size/composition versus tie efficiency changes. Parents with no children nearby constitute a mixed type that shows similarities to the childless on some indicators of social support and to parents with at least one child nearby on other indicators. Our findings provide a foundation for better predicting how current demographic trends affect future scenarios of social support in later life and for identifying the future need for formal care services. Thus, they are relevant for social scientists and policy makers alike.

Childlessness and social support in old age

“…Parents had noticeably higher odds of receiving informal support (Larsson & Silverstein, 2004) and, although childless women in England were more likely to receive help from friends, they still had considerably lower odds of receiving help from any informal source when compared with mothers (Grundy & Read, 2012). German nonparents had more friends and members of extended kin in their social networks, and they often considered them to be potential supporters (Schnettler & Wöhler, 2016). Sporadic informal support for the childless elderly can often be taken on by extended family, friends, or neighbours (Deindl & Brandt, 2017).…”

“…Extended family, friends, and neighbours seemed to compensate for the lack of children within the social networks of the childless elderly (Deindl & Brandt, 2017). On the whole nonparents used two substitution mechanisms -substitution by adjusting network size or composition; and substitution through more effective personal ties (Schnettler & Wöhler, 2016).…”

“…However, partly contradicting these findings, some studies indicated that childlessness had a negative impact only on the strength of support networks for single men and married women (Wenger, Scott, & Patterson, 2000). Nonparents had more potential diverse support networks, as they were not limited to parent-child relations like parents were, and their networks could be characterised by stronger links to extended kin and friends (Albertini & Kohli, 2009;Schnettler & Wöhler, 2016). Nonparents had more links to friends and fewer intimate family relationships (Pushkar et al, 2014).…”

Childlessness and Intergenerational Transfers in Later Life

“…Generally, the childless do not appear to have larger support deficits than parents (Albertini and Mencarini 2014). Childless people tend to compensate for the absence of exchanges with adult children by having frequent contact with neighbours and friends, and by developing strong ties with other family members, including with their parents, their siblings, and their nephews and nieces (Albertini and Kohli 2009;Schnettler and Woehler 2015). Moreover, despite the stigma that may still be attached to voluntary childlessness and the distress that may accompany involuntary childlessness (Dykstra and Hagestad 2007), recent empirical evidence does not support the assumption that childless older people have lower levels of economic, psychological, or social well-being than their counterparts who have children (Hank and Wagner 2013).…”

“…But there are also parents who, due to life events such as a divorce or an intense family conflict, have lost track of their children and no longer have contact with them. Other parents have children who live very far away (see Schnettler and Woehler 2015). These situations may have different effects on support networks and exchanges.…”