Adult Children’s Life Transitions, Intergenerational Support and Older Parent’s Wellbeing

The concept of linked lives points out the social psychological processes involved as key life events in the life course of others influence the wellbeing and health of those who are connected to them. While the majority of family research has focused on the downward impacts from parents’ life course changes on children, few have addressed the upward impacts from children’s or even grandchildren’s life course changes on older adults’ wellbeing and health. Exploring such a research gap is important for research on aging families. It will provide greater understanding on the extent family relationships and solidarity between generations are affected when younger generations experience key life events or non-normative life transitions. Furthermore, further examinations on sociocultural differences on gendered norms, intergenerational exchanges and support will open up new discussions on family support in late life. Hence, this session welcomes empirical papers from societies of all cultures to investigate the influence of younger generations’ life events on the wellbeing or health of older adults and to explore the role of intergenerational support or other mechanisms that intensify or reduce the upward impacts.