Support Provided by Middle-Generation Adults in Multigenerational Families: A Korea - Japan Comparison.

One concern addressed in the literature on intergenerational relations is the extent to which the support provided by middle-generation adults (G2) to their elderly parents (Gl) is compatible with support provision to young adult offspring (G3). A "competition" or "conflict" often is assumed between the two forms of support, though evidence from Western nations fails to consistently confirm this. Moreover, this issue has received little study in non-Western societies, especially in East Asia where populations are aging rapidly. Using the 2006 East Asian Social Survey data sets, we test the competition hypothesis regarding the association between middle-generation adults5 support to aged parents and adult offspring in South Korea and Japan. More generally, we examine frequency of support offered to Gl and G3 family members in these countries to assess family support provisions in the context of rapid population aging, Eastern cultural values, and distinct policy contexts. We find that support provided to G3 family members is not predictive of reduced support to Gl members, in either country. Instead, when middle-generation adults provide support, they tend to do so for both generations. Additionally, we find more frequent provisions of support to G3 than Gl family members, across family lineages. How these results compare with Western findings is discussed, along with consideration of shifting social and cultural situations in East Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]