Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-j824f Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-13T06:07:04.020Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Would I Share a Home with an Elderly Parent? Exploring Ethnocultural Diversity and Intergenerational Support Relations during Young Adulthood*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 March 2010

Barbara A. Mitchell
Barbara A. Mitchell*
Affiliation:
Simon Fraser University
*
Requests for offprints should be sent to: / Les demandes de tirés-a-part doivent être adressées à: Barbara A. Mitchell, Associate Professor, Department of Sociology/Anthropology & Gerontology Programs, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BCV5A 1S6, mitchelo@sfu.ca
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

This paper provides an exploratory analysis of ethnocultural diversity and intergenerational support, examining factors that shape the attitudes of young adults toward sharing a home with an elderly parent. Data are drawn from a random sample of 565 young adults aged 19 to 35 living in the Greater Vancouver Regional District, whose primary ethnic identity is as members of one of three groups: British-, Chinese-, and Indo-Canadian. Utilizing a comparative, cross-cultural approach and logistic regression procedures, the study found the likelihood of young adults' expressing favourable attitudes to caregiving to be influenced by several factors associated with collectivistic systems of caregiving. Noteworthy is the finding that, after controlling for ethnocultural and socio-demographic factors, the best predictor of co-residence attitudes is the quality of a child's relationship with her/his mother. Findings are discussed with regard to their implications for intergenerational relations and support for aging families.

Résumé

Cette étude offre une analyse préliminaire de la diversité ethno-culturelle et de l'appui intergénérationnel; elle examine les facteurs qui façonnent les attitudes des jeunes adultes envers le partage d'une maison avec un parent âgé. Les données proviennent d'un échantillonnage aléatoire de 565 jeunes adultes, âgés de 19 à 35 ans et vivant dans le section régional de Greater Vancouver. L'identité ethnique primaire des sujets se retrouve dans un de trois groupes, soit britannique-canadien, chinois-canadien et indo-canadien. L'étude repose sur une approche comparative transculturelle et des marches à suivre de régression logistique. L'on retrouve que quelques facteurs associés aux systèmes collectivistes de soins exercent une influence sur la probabilité que les jeunes adultes démontrent des attitudes favorables. Il convient de noter qu'une fois les facteurs ethno-culturels et socio-démographiques contrôlés, la découverte que le meilleur moyen de prédire les attitudes co-résidentielles est d'étudier la qualité de la relation entre l'enfant et sa mère. Les résultats sont discutés en vue de leur effet sur les relations inter-générationnelles et sur l'appui aux familles vieillissantes.

Keywords

agingintergenerational supportethnocultural diversityco-residence attitudesvieillissementappui inter-générationneldiversité ethno-culturelleattitudes co-résidentielles
Type
Articles
Information
Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement , Volume 22 , Issue 1 , Spring/Printemps 2003 , pp. 69 - 82
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Association on Gerontology 2003

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.)

Footnotes

*

An earlier version of this paper was presented at the International Gerontological Association Meetings, Vancouver, BC, July, 2001. The research reported here was funded by a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada research grant. Thanks to Doug Talling for his help with computer runs.

References

Refferrencces

Abel, E.K. (2001). Historical perspectives on caregiving: Documenting women's experiences. In Walker, A.J., Manoogian-O'Dell, M., McGraw, L.A., & White, D.L. (Eds.), Families in later life: Connections and transitions (pp. 83–88). Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge Press.Google Scholar
Adams, M. (1998). Sex in the snow: Canadian social values at the end of the millennium. Toronto: Penguin.Google Scholar
Barnard, R., Cosgrave, D., & Welsh, J. (1998). Chips and pop: Decoding the nexus generation. Toronto: Malcolm Lester Books.Google Scholar
Basran, G.S. (1993). Indo-Canadian-Canadian families: Historical constraints and contemporary contradictions. Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 24, 316–340.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Burr, J.A., & Mutchler, J.E. (1999). Race and ethnic variations in norms of filial responsibility among older persons. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 61, 674–687.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Daniewicz, S.C. (1995). When parents can't live alone: Choosing multi-generational households. Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 23(3/4), 47–63.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
DeMaris, A. (1995). A tutorial in logistic regression. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 57, 956–968.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Driedger, L., & Chappell, N. (1987). Aging and Ethnicity: Toward an interface. Toronto: Butterworths.Google Scholar
Ganong, L.H., & Coleman, M. (1998). Attitudes regarding filial responsibilities to help elderly divorced parents and stepparents. Journal of Aging Studies, 12(3), 271–290.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gee, E.M., & Gutman, G.M., Eds. (2000). The overselling of population aging: Apocalyptic demography, intergenerational challenges, and social policy. Toronto: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Goldscheider, F.K., & Goldsheider, C. (1993). Leaving home before marriage: Ethnicity, familism, and generational relationships. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press.Google Scholar
Goldscheider, F.K., & Lawton., L. (1998). Family experiences and the erosion of support for intergenerational co-residence. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 60(3), 623–633.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Goode, W.J. (1963). World revolution and family patterns. London: Free Press.Google Scholar
Hendricks, J., & Hendricks, C.D. (1979). Concerning old age: Interdisciplinary dimensions. In Hendricks, J. & Hendricks, C.D. (Eds.), Dimensions of aging: Readings (pp. 1–7). Cambridge, MA: Winthrop.Google Scholar
Isajiw, W.W. (1996). Understanding diversity: Ethnicity and race in the Canadian context. Toronto: Thompson Educational Publishing.Google Scholar
Ishii-Kuntz, M. (1997). Intergenerational relationships among Chinese-Canadian, Japanese, and Korean Americans. Family Relations, 46, 23–32.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kamo, Y., & Zhou, M. (1994). Living arrangements of elderly Chinese-Canadian and Japanese in the United States. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 56(3), 544–558.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Keefe, J., Rosenthal, C., & Béland, F. (2000). The impact of ethnicity on helping older relatives: Findings from a sample of employed Canadians. Canadian Journal on Aging, 19(3), 317–342.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lapointe Consulting (with Murdie R.A.). (1996). Immigrants and the Canadian housing market: Living arrangement, housing characteristics, and preferences. Ottawa: Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation.Google Scholar
Lin, C., & Liu, W.T. (1999). Intergenerational relationships among Chinese immigrant families from Taiwan. In McDoo, H.P. (Ed.), Family ethnicity: Strength in diversity (2nd ed.; pp. 235–251). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.Google Scholar
Long, J.S. (1997). Regression models for categorical and limited dependent variables. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.Google Scholar
McCullough, B.J. (1990). The relationship of intergenerational reciprocity of aid to the morale of older parents: Equity and exchange theory comparisons. Journal of Gerontology, 45, S150–S155.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Menard, S. (1995). Applied logistic regression analysis: Quantitative applications in the social sciences. London: Sage.Google Scholar
Mitchell, S. (2001). Generation X: Americans aged, 18–34 (3rd ed). New York: New Strategist Inc.Google Scholar
Morgan, S.P., & Teachman, J.D. (1988). Logistic regression: Descriptions, examples and comparisons. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 50, 929–936.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Norris, J.E., & J.A., Tindale (1994). Among generations: The cycle of adult relationships. New York: W.H. Freeman and Company.Google Scholar
Payne, B., & Strain, L. (1992). Ethnic variations in family social support of the elderly. Caring Communities: Proceedings of the Symposium on Social Supports. Statistics Canada Community Supports Division (Catalogue no. 89-514E).Google Scholar
Penning, M., & Chappell, N. (1987). Ethnicity and informal supports among older adults. Journal of Aging Studies, 1(2), 145–160.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Popenoe, D. (1993). American family decline, 1960–1990: A review and appraisal. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 55, 527–555.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pyke, K.D. (1999). The micropolitics of care in relationships between aging parents and adult children: Individualism, collectivism, and power. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 61(3), 661–672.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pyke, K.D., & Bengtson, V.L. (1996). Caring more or less: Individualistic and collectivist systems of family elder-care. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 58, 379–392.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rosenmayr, L., & Kockeis, E. (1963). Propositions for a sociological theory of aging and the family. International Social Science Journal, 15(3), 410–426.Google Scholar
Rosenthal, C. (1986). Family supports in later life: Does ethnicity make a difference? The Gerontologist, 26, 19–24.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Skolnick, A. (1991). Embattled paradise: The American family in an age of uncertainty. New York: Basic.Google Scholar
Silverstein, M., Chen, X., and Heller, K. (1996). Too much of a good thing? Intergenerational social support and the psychological well-being of older parents. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 58, 970–982.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Statistics Canada (1995). General social survey, cycle 10, Family. Ottawa: Minister of Supply and Services.Google Scholar