scholarly journals Virtue is its own reward? Support-giving in the family and loneliness in middle and old age

2008 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 271-287 ◽  
Author(s):  
JENNY DE JONG GIERVELD ◽  
PEARL A. DYKSTRA
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Inverse Relationship ◽  
Panel Study ◽  
Family Relationship ◽  
Support Providers ◽  
The Family ◽  
Low Levels ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Middle Generation

ABSTRACTGerontologists have emphasised that older adults are not only recipients of support but also important support providers. Using data from the first wave of the Netherlands Kinship Panel Study of 727 middle-generation adults aged 45 to 79 years, we examined the associations between loneliness and giving support up, across and down family lineages. Overall, the findings were consistent more with an altruism perspective, that giving brings rewards, than with an exchange perspective, which emphasises the costs of giving support. The results showed an inverse relationship between the number of generations supported and loneliness, and that those engaged in balanced exchanges with family members in three generations (parents, siblings and children) were generally the least lonely. As regards the direction of support giving, the findings showed that the association between giving support and loneliness was insignificant if the support was for parents, negative for support to siblings, and positive for support to children. Imbalanced support exchanges were differentially associated with loneliness, and depended on the type of family relationship involved. Non-reciprocated support made parents more vulnerable to loneliness, whereas non-reciprocated giving in sibling ties was associated with low levels of loneliness. Imbalanced support giving in relationships with parents was not associated with loneliness.

scholarly journals Experience of Poverty and Problem Sleep in Later Life

2019 ◽  
Vol 41 (7) ◽  
pp. 697-722 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jen-Hao Chen
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Sleep Duration ◽  
Structural Model ◽  
Panel Study ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Marginal Structural Model ◽  
Short Sleep Duration ◽  
Falling Asleep ◽  
Using Data

Older adults are more likely to report problem sleep, but little is known about how the economic challenges of old age affect sleep. Using data from the disability and use of time from the panel study of income dynamics ( N = 1,693), this study applied propensity score methods and the marginal structural model to estimate the associations between exposure to poverty and two measures of problem sleep: risky sleep duration and difficulty falling asleep. Poverty, irrespective of duration of exposure, had little impact on short sleep duration. Exposure to poverty, however, was associated with increased likelihood of long sleep duration on weekends and having difficulty falling asleep on both weekdays and weekends, especially for older adults who were exposed to poverty for 5 or more years. Findings suggest that economic hardship of old age may be a social structural obstacle for healthy sleep.

scholarly journals The wellbeing of childless men and fathers in mid-life

2009 ◽  
Vol 29 (8) ◽  
pp. 1227-1242 ◽  
Author(s):  
PEARL A. DYKSTRA ◽  
RENSKE KEIZER
Keyword(s):  
Old Age ◽  
Family Relationships ◽  
Panel Study ◽  
Psychological Wellbeing ◽  
Social Wellbeing ◽  
Helping Others ◽  
Low Levels ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Parenthood Status ◽  
Provider Role

ABSTRACTUsing data from the first wave of the Netherlands Kinship Panel Study conducted in 2002–03, this paper examines the economic, psychological and social wellbeing among 1,467 men aged 40–59 years with different parenthood histories and circumstances: the childless, fathers who live with their children, non-co-resident fathers, and ‘empty-nest fathers’. The gerontological interest is whether there are variations in wellbeing by parenting, and whether they persist in old age. The results showed that fathers have higher incomes than childless men, regardless of their partner history. As regards psychological wellbeing, men's partner history counts, not their parenthood status. Being single contributes to low levels of psychological wellbeing. The findings provide evidence of the socially integrating effects of parenthood and for men's ‘good-provider’ role. Childless men and non-co-resident fathers report poorer quality family relationships. In addition, childless men were least likely to report helping others in the community. Overall, more support is found for the notion that fatherhood is a transforming event than that the wellbeing benefits derive from fathering activities. The paper concludes with a discussion of the implications of the findings for inequalities in wellbeing and informal support among the male members of the cohort born during 1943–63 when they reach old age.

scholarly journals Perkawinan Lansia di Kecamatan Socah Kabupaten Bangkalan Perspektif Maqasid Al-Shari’ah

AL-HUKAMA ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 483-506
Author(s):  
Roisul Umam Hamzah
Keyword(s):  
Elderly People ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Family Relationship ◽  
Field Research ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
The Family ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Break Up ◽  
Old Maid

This is a field research that analyzes the marriage suitability of elderly people in Socah, Bangkalan under the theory of maqasid shari'ah. The elderly marriage is officially conducted at KUA (Religious Affairs Office) of Socah for different reasons, namely: on the basis of coercion to the bride so that the family relationship does not break up, resulting in reluctance, on the basis of family compassion and encouragement. It is because the bride is an old maid and is his own niece on the basis of mutual love, avoid immorality and seek peace of life in old age. All couples can fulfill both material and non-material obligations, although not as perfect as a young couple. Some husbands do not want to have children for fear of not being able to support even though in this case the wife really wants it. Thus, the marriage of the elderly in Socah is sometimes appropriate and not in accordance with the maqasid shari'ah. The suitability in question is in terms of hifz al-din (protecting religion) and hifz al-mal (protecting wealth), while its inadequacies are in terms of hifz al-nasl (protecting offspring), because of their desires to have offspring and in terms of hifz al-nafs (protecting soul), and hifz al-'aql (protecting ratio), because of differences in descent have the negative effect on family disharmony that can interfere with the soul and mind. In this case, an intense dialogue and approach must be made to the couple to be more open and understand each other.

scholarly journals Does incidental exposure on social media equalize or reinforce participatory gaps? Evidence from a panel study

2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (11-12) ◽  
pp. 2463-2482 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raffael Heiss ◽  
Jörg Matthes
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Panel Study ◽  
Political Engagement ◽  
Political Information ◽  
Political Interest ◽  
Main Effect ◽  
Incidental Exposure ◽  
Low Levels ◽  
Using Data ◽  
High Effort

Existing research indicates that incidental exposure to political information on social media may function as an equalizer, stimulating political engagement among the politically detached. In this article, we challenge this notion and propose that there are good reasons to assume that incidental exposure may reinforce existing gaps. We test the equalizing against the reinforcing hypothesis using data from a two-wave panel study ( N = 559). We find a positive main effect of incidental exposure on low-effort digital participation. However, this effect was not conditional on political interest, as the equalizing assumption would have suggested. More interestingly, we found that the effect of incidental exposure on high-effort digital participation was conditional on political interest. However, against the assumption of equalization, individuals with low levels of political interest were negatively affected by incidental exposure, thus lending support for the reinforcement hypothesis. Possible reasons for these findings are discussed.

scholarly journals PREPARATION FOR FUTURE IN OLD AGE: WHY AND WHY NOT?

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S749-S749
Author(s):  
Helene H Fung
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Hong Kong ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Population Aging ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Age Related ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Older Chinese ◽  
Using Data

Abstract With population aging, many people can expect to spend 30 or more years in old age. The five papers included in this symposium aim at shedding light on whether and how to make plans for old age, using data from the “Aging as Future” Project. First, Park and Hess used data spanning across adulthood from Germany, Hong Kong and the USA to examine how changes experienced in domains of functioning and the importance attached to these domains influenced preparations for old age. Next, de Paula Couto and Rothermund, examining Germans aged 40-90 years, pointed out that prescriptive age stereotypes might be the main drive for why people make preparations for age-related changes. The remaining three papers use qualitative data to qualify the above quantitative findings. Adamson and Ekerdt interviewed older Midwest US residents. They observed that SES greatly impacted how older adults perceived and made plans for their future. The final two papers examined how rural vs. urban contexts might affect preparations for future. Liou interviewed older adults in rural Tainan and found that their ideal old age was one about no future preparation, at least not about making plans for themselves (called “tranquil life”). Ho and colleagues, in contrast, found that for older Chinese residing in urban Hong Kong, not preparing for the future (called “time freeze”) was negatively related to physical and psychological well-being. The symposium will end with an overall discussion on future research directions on whether and how to make plans for old age.

scholarly journals DEATH OF A GRANDPARENT IN ADULTHOOD: GENDER, GRIEF, AND THE ROLE OF MIDDLE-GENERATION PARENTS

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S605-S605
Author(s):  
Jeffrey E Stokes ◽  
Kyungmin Kim ◽  
Karen L Fingerman
Keyword(s):  
Relationship Quality ◽  
Life Event ◽  
Adult Grandchildren ◽  
The Family ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Middle Generation ◽  
Structural Aspects

Abstract Although the death of a grandparent in adulthood is often an expected or “on-time” life event, this loss may still result in grief for adult grandchildren. Structural aspects of relationships, including gender of the grandparent, adult grandchild, and/or middle-generation parent, may affect the response such a loss elicits from adult grandchildren. Further, adult grandchildren’s relationship quality and/or coresidence with middle-generation parents may also impact the effect of grandparent loss on adult grandchildren’s grief. Using data from Wave 2 of the Family Exchanges Study (2013), we found that (a) grandsons report less grief than granddaughters, irrespective of grandparents’ or middle-generation parents’ gender; (b) relationship quality with and worry about middle-generation parents matter most for granddaughters and those who lost a maternal grandparent; and (c) worry about middle-generation parents matters most for bereaved grandchildren who coreside with middle-generation parents. Results highlight the intersection of gender and relationship quality in a multigenerational context.

Not Accepted by the Family: “Being Difficult” or “Being Different”?

2010 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 237-263 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aafke Komter ◽  
Marieke Voorpostel ◽  
Trees Pels
Keyword(s):  
Gender Difference ◽  
Educational Level ◽  
Family Background ◽  
Panel Study ◽  
Qualitative Approach ◽  
Personal Problems ◽  
Religious Preference ◽  
Life Course Transitions ◽  
The Family ◽  
Using Data

Using data from the Netherlands Kinship Panel Study (NKPS) and combining a quantitative approach and a qualitative approach ( N = 8,148 and n = 43, respectively), this study investigates the mechanisms associated with a lack of acceptance by one’s family. From the total NKPS sample, 12.1% did not feel (entirely) accepted by their family. The authors hypothesized that people may not feel accepted by their family when they are “difficult,” for example, by exhibiting personal problems; another reason might be that they are “different,” for instance, because they have made nontraditional life course transitions or differ from their parents in educational level or religious preference. Both quantitative and qualitative results confirm the first hypothesis rather than the second. Qualitative results revealed a gender difference in the mechanisms associated with a lack of acceptance by one’s family as well as differences in the resilience of those who had had a difficult family background.

Basic Old-Age Pension and financial wellbeing of older adults in South Korea

2014 ◽  
Vol 35 (5) ◽  
pp. 1055-1074 ◽  
Author(s):  
EUNHAE SHIN ◽  
YOUNG KYUNG DO
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Panel Data Analysis ◽  
Panel Study ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Safety Net ◽  
Poverty Rate ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Increasing Demand ◽  
Using Data

ABSTRACTSouth Korea's old-age poverty rate is among the highest in the developed world. Confronted with the increasing demand for a social safety net for older people, the South Korean government introduced the Basic Old-Age Pension (BOAP) in 2008. The BOAP is a non-contributory, means-tested pension covering 70 per cent of the elderly population, with monthly benefits amounting to 84 kW (thousand Korean won, approximately equivalent to US $1) for singles and 139 kW for couples. Little empirical research has been conducted, however, to evaluate the effectiveness of the new pension programme in supporting the financial wellbeing of older people. Using data from the 2008–2010 Korea Welfare Panel Study, a panel data analysis is conducted to estimate the effects of the BOAP on three sets of financial wellbeing measures: financial difficulty, monthly consumption and overall financial satisfaction. The results suggest that the BOAP has beneficial effects on the financial wellbeing of older people by improving affordability of basic subsistence items such as heating and nutritious meals, particularly among the older-old group. However, the effects are limited to these few outcomes only; overall financial wellbeing and other important indicators remain unchanged.

scholarly journals Movers or Stayers? Heterogeneity of Older Adults' Residential Profiles Across Continental Europe

2012 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Celia Fernández-Carro
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Residential Mobility ◽  
General Trend ◽  
Baby Boom ◽  
Deterrent Effect ◽  
Health Burden ◽  
Residential Moves ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Older Europeans

Traditionally, the emotional attachment older adults have to their homes and the economic and health burden caused by residential moves have had a deterrent effect on mobility during old age. In spite of this static general trend, 20% of older Europeans change their residential location after the age of 65. Some studies point out that this percentage will increase in the coming decades along with the onset of baby-boom cohorts reaching older ages. The main objective of this article is to describe the residential mobility trends during old age in some European countries and identify the main features of those elderly that move after 65, using data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE).

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