From Norms to Behavior: A Longitudinal, Multi-Actor Study of Filial Norms and Intergenerational Proximity

Fee Van den Eynde , Nederlands Interdisciplinair Demografisch Instituut
Daniël van Wijk, Netherlands Interdisciplinary Demographic Institute
Jornt Mandemakers, NIDI
Helga de Valk, NIDI

Across Western societies, intergenerational relationships are being reshaped by ageing populations, changing life-course trajectories and increasing individualization. As welfare states shift care responsibilities to families, tensions arise between autonomy and enduring expectations of filial support. Residential proximity between adult children and ageing parents plays a key role in facilitating intergenerational care, yet the extent to which filial norms translate into actual residential behavior remains unclear. Therefore, this study investigates how norms of filial obligations influence adult children’s and parents’ decisions to move closer or to co-reside, and how this relationship is conditioned by structural opportunities and constraints. Using unique longitudinal data from the Onderzoek Gezinsvorming (NIDI-CBS, 2013) linked to Dutch population registers (2013-2023), we combine normative measures of filial obligations with ten years of administrative data on residential mobility, household composition, and socio-economic conditions. The design allows multi-actor analyses of parent-child and parent-in-law-child dyads within full family networks. We hypothesize (1) that stronger filial norms increase the likelihood of intergenerational proximity and co-residence, and (2) that this effect is moderated by contextual opportunities and constraints such as housing availability, tenure, income, and labor-market position. Preliminary descriptive analyses reveal that adult children express stronger filial obligations than parents, particularly regarding care responsibilities, although both generations show limited support for co-residence. The forthcoming analyses will test how these normative orientations shape mobility behavior over time, providing new insights into the interplay between norms, structure and intergenerational proximity in ageing societies.

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 Presented in Session 11. Intergenerational Proximity, Living Arrangements and Kin Ties Across Societies