Tarih: Date -
Dr. Gülçin Con Wright's article titled "Inequalities in Intergenerational Relationships: The Support Parents Provide to Their Adult Children" has been published on December 31, 2023, in The Turkish Journal of Population Studies, Volume 45.
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Abstract
As life expectancy increases, parents and children enjoy longer time together, elevating the importance of intergenerational ties for the well- being of both generations. Intergenerational support exchanges are shaped by changes in population and family structure. Most research has studied the upward flow of support from adult children to their older parents in need of care. Yet, it is also known that the downward flow of support continues unless a parent is widowed or in need of care. The main objective of this qualitative study is to examine the changing mechanisms of parental support to adult children. The data for this study was collected through in-depth interviews with 21 mothers and 15 fathers on their intergenerational ties. To analyze within-family differences, I gathered data from parents on their ties with each of their adult children. Analyses revealed three forms of inequalities in the parental provision of financial and in-kind childcare support to adult children: inequalities between mothers and fathers, inequalities among children within the same family, and inequalities across families with different SES backgrounds. By examining the inequalities in intergenerational support mechanisms, this study aims to make a significant contribution to both the literature and social policies on intergenerational solidarity.
Keywords
Parent-adult child ties Intergenerational support Within-family analysis SES