“I am not Alone”: Intergenerational Solidarity in Three:Generation Households from the Perspective of the Older Generation

Abstract

Abstract This article focuses on intergenerational solidarity in three-generation households. Drawing upon in-depth interviews with seven members of the oldest generation cohabiting in a three-generation household, the article investigates the aspects, perceptions, and meanings of intergenerational solidarity. The article is based mainly on the theory of intergenerational solidarity presented by Alice S. Rossi and Peter H. Rossi (1990) and Robert E. L. Bengtson and Vern L. Roberts (1991). We are inspired by the classification of solidarity into seven dimensions – associational solidarity, affectual solidarity, consensual solidarity, functional solidarity, normative solidarity, and intergenerational family structure – and observe these dimensions in the context of three-generation co-living. Using a qualitative approach allows us to capture the emic perspective of the interviewees and their perceptions of intergenerational relations and their position within a three-generation household.