Mihaela Hărăguș

Patterns of Intergenerational Co-residence in Seven Central and Eastern European Countries

Mihaela Hărăguș

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Article information

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Abstract

In this study we approach the issue of adults living with their parents in the same home, considering that co-residence is a form of intergenerational solidarity and the living space is the resource that is exchanged. We adopt a theoretical model that considers opportunity and needs, as well as family structures, as important factors associated with co-residence. We examine different situations of co-residence (persons who never left the parental home, persons who returned to the parental home after an initial departure, persons who took in their parents to live with them) and investigate the characteristics of persons in these circumstances. For our investigation, we use data from the Generations and Gender Survey for seven Central and Eastern European countries and we address the issue from the adult child’s perspective. We found that children’s younger age, as well as weaker opportunities, such as lack of employment or low education, are associated with co-residence in the parental home, for all countries. Parents’ needs, such as the absence of a partner or disabilities, are associated with co-residence, too, especially in the child’s home. However, there are several countries where co-residence, even in the parental home, is not only a form of downward support, from parents to their children until they can reach independence, but also a form of upward support for the frail elderly.

Keywords: intergenerational co-residence, needs and opportunities, family structure, Central and Eastern Europe, Generations and Gender Survey

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