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Caring for dependent parents: Altruism, exchange or family norm?

Author

Listed:
  • Justina Klimaviciute

    (HEC-Liège, Management School, Universitè de Liège)

  • Sergio Perelman

    (HEC-Liège, Management School, Universitè de Liège)

  • Pierre Pestieau

    (HEC-Liège, Management School, Universitè de Liège
    CORE, Center for Operations Research and Econometrics, UCL
    Université Toulouse 1 Capitole)

  • Jerome Schoenmaeckers

    (HEC-Liège, Management School, Universitè de Liège)

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to test alternative models of long-term caring motives. We consider three main motives: pure altruism, exchange and family norm. Our database is the second wave of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) which allows linking almost perfectly and with complete information children and their parents’ characteristics. Comparing the empirical results to the theoretical models developed, it appears that, depending on the regions analyzed, long-term caring is driven by moderate altruism or by family norm, while Alessie et al. (De Economist 162(2):193–213, 2014), also using SHARE data, stress the importance of exchange motive in intergenerational transfers.

Suggested Citation

  • Justina Klimaviciute & Sergio Perelman & Pierre Pestieau & Jerome Schoenmaeckers, 2017. "Caring for dependent parents: Altruism, exchange or family norm?," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 30(3), pages 835-873, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jopoec:v:30:y:2017:i:3:d:10.1007_s00148-017-0635-2
    DOI: 10.1007/s00148-017-0635-2
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Long-term care; Intergenerational transfers; Informal care; Altruism; Exchange; Family norm;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D13 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Household Production and Intrahouse Allocation
    • J14 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of the Elderly; Economics of the Handicapped; Non-Labor Market Discrimination
    • D64 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Altruism; Philanthropy; Intergenerational Transfers

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