The Value of Children to Young and Elderly Parents

Abstract

A sample of elderly parents in the state of Florida was contrasted with a national sample of parents in their childbearing years with respect to the satisfactions and dissatisfactions of having children. For both groups, children were most commonly seen as satisfying the needs for love and companionship and fun and stimulation. The Older group was more likely than the younger to report that children fill economic-utility needs. The older group was also more likely to indicate that there were no disadvantages to having children, and they were less likely to specifically mention disadvantages such as restrictions on freedom or financial costs. This study found that elderly parents are actually more likely to be giving financial help to their children than receiving it, and that contact with children was frequent despite geographical barriers.

The influence of the family network on the realisation of fertility intentions

“…Fertility intentions are influenced by the notion that a child will strengthen the relationship between parents and relatives and provide support in old age. This echoes the classic work of Hoffman and Hoffman (1973) where parents are seen as attributing a set of values to children such as the expansion of the self, affiliation, stimulation, accomplishment and social comparison. Zelizer (1994) likewise attests that the value of children has shifted from the role of economic contribution to the household to being a more sentimental criterion and operating as an extension of the emotional satisfaction and self-actualisation and thus personal social capital of their parents.…”

A Review of the Relationship Among Parenting Practices, Parenting Styles, and Adolescent School Achievement

“…For example, low SES parenting is associated with higher levels of harsh punishment of their children (Simons et al, 1991) and lower levels of parental involvement (Luster et al, 1989). Specifically, in the Value of Children Study, Hoffman et al (1987) found that in families where the parents worked in a low SES job (e.g., manual or service sectors), these parents had a higher likelihood of enforcing strict rules than parents who worked in professional or managerial jobs. In a study by the U.S. Department of Education (1998), researchers found that 25% of schools reported that cultural and socioeconomic factors were a major reason for low levels of parental involvement.…”

Attitudes, Norms and Perceived Behavioural Control: Explaining Fertility Intentions in Bulgaria

“…One important stream in the literature is related to the concept of ''value of children'', a concept originally introduced by Hoffman and Hoffman (1973) (see also Fawcett 1978). The basic idea in the value of children approach is to study childbearing decision-making by simultaneously considering ''objective'' economic factors, normative factors and psychological dispositions.…”

“…The value of a child (or an additional) is linked to the needs that the child fulfils for her/his parents. Hoffman and Hoffman (1973), for instance, listed nine dimensions that contribute to determine the value of children: (1) social identity and adulthood status; (2) the expansion of the self, the link to a larger entity, the desire of ''immortality''; (3) morality, religion, altruism, group welfare, norms concerning sexual behaviour, impulsive action, virtues; (4) primary group ties, affection; (5) stimulus, novelty, amusement; (6) realisation, competence, creativity; (7) power, influence, efficacy; (8) social comparison, competition; (9) economic utility. Friedman and colleagues (Friedman et al 1994) criticise the nine-typologies list of Hoffman and Hoffman because of its omni-comprehensiveness.…”