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The intermediate effect of geographic proximity on intergenerational support

Author

Listed:
  • Leen Heylen

    (Universiteit Antwerpen)

  • Dimitri Mortelmans

    (Universiteit Antwerpen)

  • Kim Boudiny

    (Universiteit Antwerpen)

  • Maarten Hermans

    (Universiteit Antwerpen)

Abstract

Background: The geographic proximity of parents and adult children is a key element of intergenerational solidarity. Many studies have identified geographical distance as an important determinant of intergenerational support: living nearby increases the amount of mutual support provided. It can, however, also be regarded as a dimension of intergenerational solidarity: the current degree of proximity is the result of past migration decisions made by both generations, in which present and future care demands potentially played a key role. Objective: We take this endogenous nature of geographical distance into account by examining the indirect effect of the determinants of the actual level of support through geographical distance. Both upward support (personal care provided to mother) and downward support (help with childcare received from mother) are considered. Methods: Path analyses are performed on data from the Generations and Gender Survey for France and Bulgaria using a general latent-variable modelling framework in multiple-group models. Results: In addition to strongly affecting the level of support provided and received, geographical distance itself is affected by several individual and family-related variables, which in turn have an indirect effect on the level of intergenerational support. The results suggest that proximity can be used as an adaptive strategy: e.g., working adult children in France receive more help with childcare because of their greater proximity to their mothers. Having a greater care need may have triggered this choice of residence. Similarly, single parents with no partner to rely on tend to live closer to their mothers, and therefore receive more help. Conclusions: Geographic proximity can be considered a latent form of solidarity that functions as a mediator between background factors and manifest, functional solidarity.

Suggested Citation

  • Leen Heylen & Dimitri Mortelmans & Kim Boudiny & Maarten Hermans, 2012. "The intermediate effect of geographic proximity on intergenerational support," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 27(17), pages 455-486.
    • Handle: RePEc:dem:demres:v:27:y:2012:i:17
    DOI: 10.4054/DemRes.2012.27.17
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Niina Metsä-Simola & Anna Baranowska-Rataj & Hanna M. Remes & Mine Kühn & Pekka Martikainen, 2021. "Support from grandparents and mothers’ depression around the time of separation," MPIDR Working Papers WP-2021-020, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany.
    2. Bettina Hünteler & Clara H. Mulder, 2020. "Geographic Proximity to Parents, Intergenerational Support Exchange, and Migration Within Germany," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 36(5), pages 895-918, November.
    3. Steele, Fiona & Zhang, Siliang & Grundy, Emily & Burchardt, Tania, 2024. "Longitudinal analysis of exchanges of support between parents and children in the UK," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 119908, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    4. Roberta Rutigliano, 2020. "Counting on Potential Grandparents? Adult Children’s Entry Into Parenthood Across European Countries," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 57(4), pages 1393-1414, August.
    5. Eliza Lai-Yi Wong & Jennifer Mengwei Liao & Christopher Etherton-Beer & Loretta Baldassar & Gary Cheung & Claire Margaret Dale & Elisabeth Flo & Bettina Sandgathe Husebø & Roy Lay-Yee & Adele Millard , 2020. "Scoping Review: Intergenerational Resource Transfer and Possible Enabling Factors," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(21), pages 1-22, October.
    6. Pearl A. Dykstra & Aafke Komter, 2012. "Generational interdependencies in families," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 27(18), pages 487-506.
    7. HwaJung Choi & Robert Schoeni & Hongwei Xu & Adriana Reyes & Deena Thomas, 2021. "Proximity to mother over the life course in the United States: Overall patterns and racial differences," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 45(23), pages 769-806.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    geographical proximity; GGS; intergenerational solidarity;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J1 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics
    • Z0 - Other Special Topics - - General

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