The Relevance of Norms for Understanding Intergenerational Relationships

Valeria Bordone, University of Mannheim

Contact is recognised as an important source of support within ageing families. Needs and opportunities of both elderly parents and adult children influence intergenerational contact. Still, wide between-countries differences require an explanation. This study aims to highlight a shaded area, focusing on the role of social norms in shaping intergenerational contact, net of the effect of family values. A micro-macro perspective is adopted. Three-level ordered logistic regressions on data from SHARE consider the adult child, the parent, and the country. The macro-indicator covering a set of social norms based on the role of the woman within the family and gender roles in public provisions for the family is constructed with an explorative factorial analysis of data from the European Social Survey. The normative division of labour between family and state for elderly care is additionally considered. The results suggest that contact is more frequent where a traditional normative set holds.