Linked lives in families: The influence of demographic change and national policies

What is it about?

This paper focuses on interdependence or “linked” lives (Elder, 1994) in families. High levels of interdependence exist when family members have no option but to rely on one another. Low levels of interdependence exist when family members can lead autonomous lives. Demographic change, and more specifically increased co-longevity, creates different opportunities for interdependence for men and women. National policies also shape interdependence in families. They can mandate generational interdependence (e.g., legal obligations to provide financial support), block generational interdependence (e.g., grandparents not granted the right to raise grandchildren when parents cannot provide adequate care; migration laws not granting temporary visits to enable the provision of care), generate generational interdependence (e.g., daddy quota), and lighten generational interdependence (e.g., less reliance on grandparental care in Northern and Western Europe due to public support to parents of young children). Gender receives consistent consideration throughout the paper.

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Why is it important?

What happens in families is strongly shaped by country-level factors.

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