Bettina Isengard

Living Apart (or) Together? Coresidence of Elderly Parents and Their Adult Children in Europe

Coresidence of elderly parents and adult children is a special form of intergenerational relations that is not uncommon in European societies. Why do adult children and parents live together? In what way do individual characteristics, family structures, and cultural contexts play a crucial role? How can differences between countries be explained? Are there discrepancies between adult generations sharing the same household and those who live in separate homes within the same building (“near coresidence”)? The empirical analyses reported in this article are based on the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe. The findings prove the importance of individual needs and opportunities of children and parents as well as the relevance of family structures. Country comparisons show that welfare-state arrangements have a substantial effect. In fact, coresidence appears to be a response to economic insecurities at both individual and societal levels.

Youth Unemployment: Individual Risk Factors and Institutional Determinants. A Case Study of Germany and the United Kingdom

This paper deals with youth unemployment trends in Europe since the mid-1980s in general, and regards individual risk factors in the mid-1990s for Germany and the United Kingdom in particular. The study of the two selected countries shows that the individual risk of (long-term) unemployment is not equally high for all young people, but rather depends on various socioeconomic and structural factors like gender, education, nationality and region of residence. The individual level of education is an important determinant of occupational success, while the country-specific organization of educational systems and labour market institutions also affects different occupational outcomes. In addition, the welfare state structures and policies may determine labour market outcomes. Germany and the United Kingdom responded to the increasing problems of youth unemployment with the active labour market programs ‘JUMP’ and ‘New Deal for Young People’; the concepts and results of these are discussed.

Familiale Unterstützung und soziale Ungleichheit in Europa

Die Familie ist eine der altesten Institutionen der Menschheit, gehort zu den stabilsten Beziehungsnetzwerken von Individuen und begleitet einen (in den meisten Fallen) ein Leben lang. In den letzten Jahrzehnten wird, bedingt durch demografische und familiale Veranderungen, die den scheinbaren bzw. vermeintlichen Niedergang der Familie markieren, nicht nur in der offentlichen und privaten, sondern insbesondere auch in der wissenschaftlichen Diskussion die Frage nach dem Wandel der familialen Strukturen und Bindungen in den heutigen, westlichen Gesellschaften thematisiert und eine „Krise der Familie“ postuliert. Der Diskurs wird dabei insbesondere von Soziologen wie Ulrich Beck und Beck-Gernsheim (1986, 1990 und 1993), Anthony Giddens (1993) oder James Coleman (1995) gepragt und von Meinhard Miegel (vgl. z. B. Miegel und Wahl 1994; Miegel 2003) popularisiert. Ihnen zufolge spiegelt sich die zunehmende Individualisierung der Gesellschaft auch in der Auflosung bislang traditioneller Familienbeziehungen wider, da sich die Wahlmoglichkeiten und Chancen zur individuellen Selbstverwirklichung deutlich erhoht haben. Die neuen Freiheiten gehen dabei aber zu Lasten von Sicherheit und Stabilitat innerhalb privater Beziehungen (Bertram 1997).

Money or space? Intergenerational transfers in a comparative perspective

Abstract The provision of living space as well as financial transfers are important elements of functional solidarity between parents and adult children in contemporary European societies. However, prior research has revealed substantial discrepancies not only within but also between countries. Against this background, this paper investigates the relevance of money and space transfers and the connections between the two forms of support simultaneously using the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe. The empirical results indicate that the needs of adult children as well as the opportunities of their parents are important determinants of support. Furthermore, parents in southern European countries with low levels of public family expenditures predominantly support their adult children by providing living space, whereas parents in northern European countries with more generous welfare states give direct financial support. Differences in country-specific transfer patterns can theoretically and empirically be traced back to welfare state support in general and national housing regimes and markets in particular.

Migration Matters: Insights into Intergenerational Solidarity Patterns in Europe

Intergenerational transfers of money, time, and space are important manifestations of functional solidarity in contemporary societies. Whereas previous studies have mainly addressed the causes and consequences of intergenerational support of natives, the population of foreign origin has often been neglected or limited to a specific (ethnic) population. Therefore, this study focuses on intergenerational functional solidarity patterns between migrants and natives as well as within migrant families using the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). Overall, the empirical analyses prove that European families are strongly connected by different forms of functional solidarity. However, migration does matter. In addition to differences between natives and migrants, the analyses also highlight specific patterns within migrants according to household composition, duration of stay, and country of origin.