Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-dk4vv Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-28T18:14:49.530Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Support networks of childless older people: informal and formal support in Europe

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 May 2016

CHRISTIAN DEINDL  and
MARTINA BRANDT
CHRISTIAN DEINDL*
Affiliation:
Faculty of Social Sciences, Goethe University Frankfurt & Institute of Sociology and Social Psychology, University of Cologne, Germany.
MARTINA BRANDT
Affiliation:
Institute for Sociology, Technical University Dortmund, Germany.
*
Address for correspondence: Christian Deindl, Faculty of Social Sciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, Theodor-W.-Adorno-Platz 6, DE-60323 Frankfurt am Main, Germany E-mail: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Western societies are ageing rapidly. Today people do not only live longer, they also have fewer children. These developments exert considerable pressure on welfare states. Children have usually been the mainstay of old age support, especially when there is no partner. We thus face new challenges: On which support networks can a growing number of childless older people rely? (How) can the lack of children be compensated in the informal social network? What role does the state play and how is informal and formal support linked? Our comparative analyses of the support networks of childless elders are based on the first two waves of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe, including 14,394 people with (instrumental) activities of daily living limitations aged 50 and over from 12 European countries. On average, 10 per cent of older Europeans today have no children. Sporadic informal support for these elders is often taken over by the extended family, friends and neighbours, and thus the lack of children is compensated within the social network. Intense care tasks, however, are more likely provided by professional providers, especially in the case of childless older people. In countries with low social service provision, childless elders are therefore likely to experience a lack of (formal) support, especially when depending on vital care.

Keywords

childlessnessEuropesupport networkssocial services
Type
Articles
Information
Ageing & Society , Volume 37 , Issue 8 , September 2017 , pp. 1543 - 1567
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2016 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Abma, J. C. and Martinez, G. M. 2006. Childlessness among older women in the United States: trends and profiles. Journal of Marriage and Family, 68, 4, 1045–56.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Albertini, M. and Kohli, M. 2009. What childless older people give: is the generational link broken? Ageing & Society, 29, 8, 1261–74.Google Scholar
Albertini, M. and Mencarini, L. 2014. Childlessness and support networks in later life: new pressures on familialistic welfare states? Journal of Family Issues, 35, 3, 331–57.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Antonucci, T. C. and Akiyama, H. 1987. Social networks in adult life and a preliminary examination of the convoy model. Journal of Gerontology, 42, 5, 519–27.Google Scholar
Attias-Donfut, C., Ogg, J. and Wolff, F.-C. 2005. European patterns of intergenerational financial and time transfers. European Journal of Ageing, 2, 3, 161–73.Google Scholar
Attias-Donfut, C. and Wolff, F.-C. 2000. Complementarity between private and public transfers. In Arber, S. and Attias-Donfut, C. (eds), The Myth of Generational Conflict: The Family and State in Ageing Societies. Routledge, London, 47–68.Google Scholar
Bolin, K., Lindgren, B. and Lundborg, P. 2008. Informal and formal care among single-living elderly in Europe. Health Economics, 17, 3, 393–409.Google Scholar
Bonsang, E. 2009. Does informal care from children to their elderly parents substitute for formal care in Europe? Journal of Health Economics, 28, 1, 143–54.Google Scholar
Börsch-Supan, A., Brandt, M., Hunkler, C., Kneip, T., Korbmacher, J., Malter, F., Schaan, B., Stuck, S. and Zuber, S. on behalf of the SHARE Central Coordination Team 2013. Data resource profile: the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). International Journal of Epidemiology, 42, 4, 992–1001.Google Scholar
Brandt, M. 2013. Intergenerational help and public support in Europe. A case of specialization? European Societies, 15, 1, 26–56.Google Scholar
Brandt, M. and Deindl, C. 2013. Intergenerational transfers to adult children in Europe: do social policies matter? Journal of Marriage and Family, 75, 1, 235–51.Google Scholar
Brandt, M., Haberkern, K. and Szydlik, M. 2009. Intergenerational help and care in Europe. European Sociological Review, 25, 5, 585–601.Google Scholar
Choi, N. G. 1994. Patterns and determinants of social service utilization: comparison of the childless elderly and elderly parents living with or apart from their children. The Gerontologist, 34, 3, 353–62.Google Scholar
Crimmins, E. M. 2004. Trends in the health of the elderly. Annual Review of Public Health, 25, 79–98.Google Scholar
Crimmins, E. M. and Beltrán-Sanchez, H. 2010. Mortality and morbidity trends: is there compression of morbidity? Journals of Gerontology: Social Sciences, 66B, 1, 75–86.Google Scholar
Daatland, S. O. and Herlofson, K. 2003. Families and welfare states: substitution or complementarity. In Lowenstein, A. and Ogg, J. (eds), OASIS: Old Age and Autonomy – The Role of Service Systems and Intergenerational Family Solidarity. The Final Report. University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel, 281–305.Google Scholar
Deindl, C. and Brandt, M. 2011. Financial support and practical help between older parents and their middle-aged children in Europe. Ageing & Society, 31, 4, 645–62.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
DeOllos, I. Y. and Kapinus, C. A. 2002. Aging childless individuals and couples: suggestions for new directions in research. Sociological Inquiry, 72, 1, 72–80.Google Scholar
Dykstra, P. A. 2006. Off the beaten track: childlessness and social integration in late life. Research on Aging, 28, 6, 749–67.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dykstra, P. A. 2015. Childless older adults. In Whitbourne, S. K. (ed.), Encyclopedia of Adulthood and Aging. Wiley-Blackwell, Hoboken, New Jersey, 1–5.Google Scholar
Dykstra, P. A. and Keizer, R. 2009. The wellbeing of childless men and fathers in mid-life. Ageing & Society, 29, 8, 1227–42.Google Scholar
Gray, A. 2009. The social capital of older people. Ageing & Society, 29, 1, 5–31.Google Scholar
Grundy, E. and Read, S. 2012. Social contacts and receipt of help among older people in England: are there benefits from having more children? Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences, 67, 6, 742–54.Google Scholar
Haberkern, K. and Szydlik, M. 2010. State care provision, societal opinion and children's care of older parents in 11 European countries. Ageing & Society, 30, 2, 299–323.Google Scholar
Hagestad, G. O. and Call, V. R. A. 2007. Pathways to childlessness: a life course perspective. Journal of Family Issues, 28, 10, 1338–61.Google Scholar
Hank, K. 2007. Proximity and contact between older parents and their children: a European comparison. Journal of Marriage and Family, 69, 1, 157–73.Google Scholar
Hank, K. and Wagner, M. 2013. Parenthood, marital status, and well-being in later life: evidence from SHARE. Social Indicators Research, 114, 2, 639–53.Google Scholar
Hayford, S. R. 2013. Marriage (still) matters: the contribution of demographic change to trends in childlessness in the United States. Demography, 50, 5, 1641–61.Google Scholar
Herlofson, K. and Hagestad, G. 2011. Challenges in moving from macro to micro: population and family structures in ageing societies. Demographic Research, 25, 10, 337–70.Google Scholar
Hox, J. J. 2002. Multilevel Analysis: Techniques and Applications. Lawrence Erlbaum, Mahwah, New Jersey.Google Scholar
Hurd, M. D. 2009. Inter-vivos giving by older people in the United States: who received financial gifts from childless? Ageing & Society, 29, 8, 1207–25.Google Scholar
Igel, C. and Szydlik, M. 2011. Grandchild care and welfare state arrangements in Europe. Journal of European Social Policy, 21, 3, 210–24.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Johnson, C. L. and Catalano, D. J. 1981. Childless elderly and their family supports. The Gerontologist, 21, 6, 610–8.Google Scholar
Kahn, R. L. and Antonucci, T. C. 1980. Convoys over the life course: attachment, roles, and social support. In Baltes, P. B. and Brim, O. G. (eds), Life-span Development and Behavior. Volume 3, Academic Press, New York, 253–86.Google Scholar
Keith, P. M. 1983 a. Patterns of assistance among parents and the childless in very old age. Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 6, 1, 49–59.Google Scholar
Keith, P. M. 1983 b. A comparison of the resources of parents and childless men and women in very old age. Family Relations, 32, 3, 403–9.Google Scholar
Keizer, R., Dykstra, P. A. and Poortman, A.-R. 2010. Life outcomes of childless men and fathers. European Sociological Review, 26, 1, 1–15.Google Scholar
Kmec, J. A. 2011. Are motherhood penalties and fatherhood bonuses warranted? Comparing pro-work behaviors and conditions of mothers, fathers, and non-parents. Social Science Research, 40, 2, 444–59.Google Scholar
Kohli, M. 1999. Private and public transfers between generations: linking the family and the state. European Societies, 1, 1, 81–104.Google Scholar
Koslowski, A. S. 2011. Working fathers in Europe: earning and caring. European Sociological Review, 27, 2, 230–45.Google Scholar
Kühhirt, M. and Ludwig, V. 2012. Domestic work and the wage penalty for motherhood in West Germany. Journal of Marriage and Family, 74, 1, 186–200.Google Scholar
Künemund, H. and Rein, M. 1999. There is more to receiving than needing: theoretical arguments and empirical explorations of crowding in and crowding out. Ageing & Society, 19, 1, 93–121.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Larsson, K. and Silverstein, M. 2004. The effects of marital and parental status on informal support and service utilization: a study of older Swedes living alone. Journal of Aging Studies, 18, 2, 231–44.Google Scholar
Litwak, E. 1985. Helping the Elderly: Complementary Roles of Informal Networks and Formal Systems. Guilford Press, New York.Google Scholar
Litwin, H. and Attias-Donfut, C. 2009. The inter-relationship between formal and informal care: a study in France and Israel. Ageing & Society, 29, 1, 71–91.Google Scholar
McQuillan, J., Greil, A. L., Shreffler, K. M., Wonch-Hill, P. A., Gentzler, K. C. and Hathcoat, J. D. 2012. Does the reason matter? Variations in childlessness concerns among U.S. women. Journal of Marriage and Family, 74, 5, 1166–81.Google Scholar
Motel-Klingebiel, A., Tesch-Römer, C. and von Kondratowitz, H.-J. 2005. Welfare states do not crowd out the family: evidence for mixed responsibility from comparative analyses. Ageing & Society, 25, 6, 863–82.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Murphy, M. J., Martikainen, P. and Pennec, S. 2006. Demographic change and the supply of potential family supporters in Britain, Finland and France in the period 1911–2050. European Journal of Population, 22, 3, 219–40.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Oeppen, J. and Vaupel, J. W. 2002. Broken limits to life expectancy. Science, 296, 5579, 1029–31.Google Scholar
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) 2007. Annual Labour Force Statistics. OECD. Available online at oecd.org/document/48/0,3343,en_21571361_33915056_39095792_1_1_1_1,00.html#.Google Scholar
Reil-Held, A. 2006. Crowding out or crowding in? Public and private transfers in Germany. European Journal of Population, 22, 3, 263–80.Google Scholar
Rowland, D. T. 2007. Historical trends in childlessness. Journal of Family Issues, 28, 10, 1311–37.Google Scholar
Simon, J. G., De Boer, J. B., Joung, I. M. A., Bosma, H. and Mackenbach, J. P. 2005. How is your health in general? A qualitative study on self-assessed health. European Journal of Public Health, 15, 2, 200–8.Google Scholar
Snijders, T. A. B. and Bosker, R. J. 1999. Multilevel Analysis. An Introduction to Basic and Advanced Multilevel Modeling. Sage, London.Google Scholar
Suanet, B., Broese van Groenou, M. I. and van Tilburg, T. G. 2012. Informal and formal home-care use among older adults in Europe: can cross-national differences be explained by societal context and composition? Ageing & Society, 32, 3, 491–515.Google Scholar
United Nations 2012. UN Classifications Registry. Detailed Structure and Explanatory Notes. United Nations. Available online at http://unstats.un.org/unsd/cr/registry/regcst.asp?Cl=2. (accessed 01.03.2013)Google Scholar