Volume 25 - Article 10 | Pages 337–370  

Challenges in moving from macro to micro: Population and family structures in ageing societies

By Katharina Herlofson, Gunhild Hagestad

This article is part of the Special Collection 11 „Intergenerational family ties in Europe: Multiple linkages between individuals, families and social contexts“

Abstract

Assumptions are often made about how population ageing on the macro level has altered generational structures of families at the micro level. The purpose of this paper is to increase the awareness of challenges and potential pitfalls in bridging the two levels. To highlight these issues, two common claims found in the literature are questioned and discussed: that increased life expectancy leads to more multigenerational family structures and that reduced fertility means fewer children to care for frail parents. To illustrate, we use population statistics and survey data from selected countries.

Author’s Affiliation

• Katharina Herlofson - Norsk Institutt for Forskning om Oppvekst, Velferd og Aldring (NOVA), Norway EMAIL
• Gunhild Hagestad - Norsk Institutt for Forskning om Oppvekst, Velferd og Aldring (NOVA), Norway EMAIL

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