Opportunities and risks at the threshold of retirement: the situation of the older generation in terms of family ties and intergenerational solidarity

Abstract

The aim of the article is to present the results of research on intergenerational relations in connection with the situation of seniors at the threshold of retirement age and demographic challenges. The study – part of a broader project of multigenerational longitudinal studies – covered two groups representing the senior generation (60-year-olds) and respondents at the same age as their adult children (38-40-year-olds). Thanks to this, it was possible to get to know the perspective of both generations, understood more broadly – as communities shaped by different socio-cultural circumstances and representing a different socialization effect: specific values, life orientations, attitudes towards the family and family obligations or attitudes toward society. The older generation remains at the centre of analysis, and the questions posed here concern the chances of being cared for, in terms of the willingness of the younger generation to help. In search of answers to these questions, the following factors were juxtaposed: (i) their material, health and family situation, (iii) socio-demographic variables that may affect the life situation, (ii) attitudes towards the family, (iv) the socialization context of both generations, indicative for intergenerational solidarity, and (v) the subjective perception of the social world. As a result of the conducted analysis, the groups were identified – mainly based on status and demographic characteristics – to which public policies (health policy, support for the families) could particularly be adapted, in terms of the offer of support.