Intergenerational Solidarity

Intergenerational solidarity refers to any form of mutual support exchanged between generations. Focusing on the relationships between (adult) family members, Bengtson's paradigm of intergenerational solidarity distinguishes affectual, consensual, associational, structural, functional, and normative solidarity dimensions. The concept of intergenerational ambivalence additionally accounts for the coexistence of harmony and conflict in close relationships. In an attempt to understand individuals' motivation for intergenerational solidarity, several explanations are proposed and discussed in this article. Moreover, the theoretical framework introduced by Szydlik is outlined to account for the fact that intergenerational solidarity is principally a dyadic relation of individuals embedded in a family and in a social context. A discussion of the key findings on adult intergenerational solidarity is presented to illustrate patterns of (grand) parent-child exchanges.