Viewing Intergenerational Relations through the Eyes of Elderly Parents Aged 80 Years and Older

• In Event: 220 - Section on the Sociology of the Family Roundtables (one-hour)
  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 19. Defining Family and Family Values

Abstract

In this paper an attempt is made at shedding some light on intergenerational relations in South Africa as seen through the eyes of the elderly. Noting that few studies in this country have included the elderly aged 80 years and older in research populations, this paper draws on data focusing specifically on this age group. The discussion is based on a comparative qualitative study in the multi-cultural South African society among a sample of 81 lower-income elderly individuals from an urban area in the Gauteng province. In analyzing the data, the intergenerational solidarity paradigm proved useful in gaining insight into the nature of the different dimensions of intergenerational relations in family networks of the elderly aged 80 years and older. The discussion pays particular attention to patterns of similarity and difference with regard to the perceptions and experiences (a) among the elderly from different language backgrounds (i.e., English, Afrikaans, Zulu, and Sotho), and (b) between those who co-reside with adult children and those who do not. Furthermore, six types of intergenerational relations were identified based on the perceptions of elderly parents in this study. These are, the tight-knit; modified tight-knit; sociable; filial obligatory/G1 emotionally invested; filial obligatory/G1 emotionally disconnected; and detached types of intergenerational relations.

Author

• Ria Smit, University of Johannesburg