Intergenerational Relations : European Perspectives in Family and Society

"Population ageing today affects most industrialised countries, and it will have an impact on many facets of the social system. Intergenerational relationships will play a key role in dealing with the demographical and societal change. This book provides innovative views in the multidisciplinary research field of intergenerational family relations in society, with a focus on Europe. Different, but complementary, perspectives are integrated in one volume bringing together international scholars from sociology, psychology and economics. The book's chapters are grouped into three thematic sections which cover conceptual issues, multigenerational and cross-cultural perspectives, as well as applied issues. Implications for research, policy and practice are addressed and suggestions for future directions are discussed. By raising recent discussions on controversial issues, this book will stimulate the current discourse at various levels. Intergenerational relations in society and family will be equally interesting for researchers, advanced-level students and stakeholders in the fields of social policy, population ageing and intergenerational family relationships."--Publisher's website. INTERGENERATIONAL RELATIONS Contents List of figures and tables Figures Tables Notes on contributors Introduction Connecting generations in society and families: the interplay of societal change and family adaptation The present volume A last word 1. Demographic ageing, labour market regulation and intergenerational relations Introduction Regulating the functioning of labour markets: a brief review Age-based preferences for the regulation of labour markets Understanding the importance of age in shaping preferences for labour market regulation Conclusion 2. Intergenerational solidarity in families: interplay between the family and the state Introduction Dimensions of intergenerational solidarity Welfare state framing intergenerational solidarity Crowding-in and crowding-out in different socio-cultural contexts Conclusions 3. Intergenerational ambivalence: beyond solidarity and conflict1 New challenges for theory and research ‘Solidarity’ versus ‘ambivalence’ – the origins of a debate Intergenerational ambivalence in the international research literature Conceptual challenges and debates Where to go? Towards an elaborated understanding and definition of ambivalence 4. Intergenerational policy and the study of intergenerational relationships: a tentative proposal Introduction Foundations: ‘generative socialisation’ and human development Normative criteria: justice and participation Programmes and activities 5. Intergenerational congruence of attachment: limitations of findings Introduction Attachment and its development over the life-span Attachment in cultural context Attachment and its assessment methods Data quality Attachment intergenerational transmission and congruence Conclusions 6. Value transmission between parents and their adolescent children: the process and its outcomes. A psycho-social perspective Introduction What values are: the definition Where values come from: the transmission process Where values go on: the outcomes of the transmission process To conclude and to start again 7. Value orientations and perception of social change in post-communist Romania Introduction Brief historical overview Socio-economic and demographic changes within the Romanian context Value stability or value change? Perception of social change: generational and gender comparisons Final discussion and directions for future research 8. Intergenerational conflict: the case of adult children and their parents Introduction Theoretical perspectives on intergenerational conflict Characteristics of intergenerational conflict Conflict resolution styles in intergenerational relationships Correlation between intergenerational conflict and other characteristics of relationships Conclusions 9. Grandparent–grandchild relations in a changing society: different types and roles Introduction Grandparental types The intergenerational solidarity approach The ambivalence approach Future developments and directions of research Conclusions 10. Family change theory: a preliminary evaluation on the basis of recent cross-cultural studies Introduction1 Review of cross-cultural studies on family change theory Conclusions Outlook 11. How does family sociology contribute to the definition and measurement of a concept of family care for elderly persons? Introduction Family care in the perspectives of medical science and social policy The specificity of family care for older adults The standard measures of family care for elderly persons Towards a sociological approach to care Conclusion: towards a new definition 12. Intergenerational solidarity in an ageing society: socio-demographic determinants of intergenerational support to elderly parents Introduction The role of socio-economic factors in intergenerational support The role of gender in intergenerational support Conclusions 13. Family caregiving for older people from a life-span developmental point of view Introduction Caregiving situations as critical life circumstances: demands and adaptation Outcomes for family caregivers Conclusion Where do we go from here? An epilogue concerning the importance of solidarity between generations Index

Population ageing today affects most industrialised countries, and it will have an impact on many facets of the social system. Intergenerational relationships will play a key role in dealing with the demographical and societal change. This book provides innovative views in the multidisciplinary research field of intergenerational family relations in society, with a focus on Europe. Different, but complementary, perspectives are integrated in one volume bringing together international scholars from sociology, psychology and economics. The book's chapters are grouped into three thematic sections which cover conceptual issues, multigenerational and cross-cultural perspectives, as well as applied issues. Implications for research, policy and practice are addressed and suggestions for future directions are discussed. By raising recent discussions on controversial issues, this book will stimulate the current discourse at various levels. Intergenerational relations in society and family will be equally interesting for researchers, advanced-level students and stakeholders in the fields of social policy, population ageing and intergenerational family relationships.

This book provides innovative views in the multidisciplinary research field of intergenerational family relations in society, with a focus on Europe. Different, but complementary, perspectives are integrated into one volume, bringing together international scholars from sociology, psychology and economics.