Norms of filial obligation and actual support to parents in Central and Eastern Europe

Authors: Muresan, C. et al.  Published: December 2015

This study is a cross-national comparison regarding the relationship between norms of filial obligation and actual giving of care and financial support in several Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries as compared to Western Europe (WE). The authors examine to what extent norms of filial obligation are consistent with helping behaviour, whether the responsiveness to norms varies by country context, and whether CEE countries differ from societies benefiting from more generous public support to ageing people. The data used in this article come from the Generation and Gender Programme. The authors illustrate that actual support to ageing parents is not more prevalent in CEE than in WE countries, even if norms of filial obligations are more strongly expressed in CEE. However, the connection between filial responsibility and instrumental care is stronger in CEE, while the connection between financial help and norms of filial obligation is stronger in WE.

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