How Do Changes in Early Family Formation Trajectories Reflect Onto Later Intergenerational Relations?

Early life choices in the process of family formation are destined to reflect in the later available potential for care giving, or care demands. This paper investigates the contribution of early family formation trajectories on explaining differences in intergenerational relations and support patterns in later life. Country differences in the demography of family-linked life stages, and how these reflect on caring responsibilities, have remained largely unexplored. But the timing of family formation and dissolution, childbirth and grand parenting are key transitions with bearing on entitlements and obligations to inter-household (reciprocal) solidarity and support. Research questions are: (1) What are the changes in family structures and in the timing of family-related events over time, across birth cohorts and countries? And (2) how have these changes impacted on the amount of caring responsibilities of the intermediate generation?

To address these issues this paper explores the effects of family diversification (timing of union formation and dissolution, childlessness and fertility postponement) on intergenerational relations in 5 selected countries: Italy, Germany, France, Denmark and Czech Republic. Sequence analysis on data from SHARE surveys (waves 3 and 6) compare family trajectories (partnerships and fertility over 34 years, at ages 16-49) for individuals from the birth cohorts 1927-56. Family formation trajectories will contribute to the study of current patterns of relations through hierarchical multinomial logit models. A comparative multi-generational perspective, on three generations, will help shedding light on the ‘caring potential’ for the new generations, experiencing longer and thinner (beanpole) families and increasing rates of childlessness.