Get 20M+ Full-Text Papers For Less Than $1.50/day. Start a 14-Day Trial for You or Your Team.

Learn More →

Should the family or the state provide support for the elderly people? Findings from a two-generational Finnish study

Should the family or the state provide support for the elderly people? Findings from a... The purpose of this paper is to investigate public opinions towards elderly care. The authors analysed respondents’ opinions towards financial support, practical help and care for elderly people.Design/methodology/approachThe authors used nationally representative data collected in Finland in 2012. Respondents represent an older generation (born between 1945 and 1950, n=1,959) and their adult children (born between 1962 and 1993, n=1,652).FindingsFirst, the authors compared the opinions of older and younger Finns but did not find that older adults were more likely than younger adults support the state responsibility, or vice versa. It was also when only actual parent-child dyads (n=779) from same families were included. Next, the authors found that several socioeconomic and family-related variables were associated with public opinions of elderly care in both generations. For instance, in both generations lower-income individuals supported the state’s responsibility more compared to their better-off counterparts.Originality/valueThe study provides important knowledge on attitudes towards elderly care using unique two-generational data of younger and older adults. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy Emerald Publishing

Should the family or the state provide support for the elderly people? Findings from a two-generational Finnish study

Download PDF
18 pages

Loading next page...
 
/lp/emerald-publishing/should-the-family-or-the-state-provide-support-for-the-elderly-people-p0dYvHwAnC
Publisher
Emerald Publishing
Copyright
© Emerald Publishing Limited
ISSN
0144-333X
DOI
10.1108/ijssp-06-2018-0102
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to investigate public opinions towards elderly care. The authors analysed respondents’ opinions towards financial support, practical help and care for elderly people.Design/methodology/approachThe authors used nationally representative data collected in Finland in 2012. Respondents represent an older generation (born between 1945 and 1950, n=1,959) and their adult children (born between 1962 and 1993, n=1,652).FindingsFirst, the authors compared the opinions of older and younger Finns but did not find that older adults were more likely than younger adults support the state responsibility, or vice versa. It was also when only actual parent-child dyads (n=779) from same families were included. Next, the authors found that several socioeconomic and family-related variables were associated with public opinions of elderly care in both generations. For instance, in both generations lower-income individuals supported the state’s responsibility more compared to their better-off counterparts.Originality/valueThe study provides important knowledge on attitudes towards elderly care using unique two-generational data of younger and older adults.

Journal

International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy – Emerald Publishing

Published: Feb 22, 2019

Keywords: Finland; State; Elderly care; Public opinions; Self-interests

References

  • Care going market: Finnish Elderly care policies in transition
    Anttonen, A.; Häikiö, L.
  • Discerning self-interested behavior in attitudes towards welfare state responsibilities across Europe
    Baslevent, C.; Kirmanogula, H.
  • Economic conditions and public attitudes to welfare policies
    Blakesaune, M.
  • Public attitudes toward welfare state policies. A comparative analysis of 24 nations
    Blekesaune, M.; Quadagno, J.
  • Ikääntyneiden saama epävirallinen ja virallinen apu Suomessa
    Blomgren, J.; Martikainen, P.; Martelin, T.; Koskinen, S.
  • Age and intergenerational attitudes in the family and the welfare state
    Daatland, S.; Veenstra, M.; Herlofson, K.
  • Lost solidarity or changed solidarity: a comparative European view of normative family solidarity
    Daatland, S.O.; Herlofson, K.
  • Balancing generations: on the strength andcharacter of family norms in the Westand East of Europe
    Daatland, S.O.; Herlofson, K.; Lima, I.A.
  • Vaikuttaako asenne auttamiseen? Suuret ikäluokat ja lastenlasten hoito. (Does the attitude affect helping? Baby boomers and grandchild care)
    Danielsbacka, M.
  • Relationship between parents and their adult children: a west European typology of late-life families
    Dykstra, P.A.; Fokkema, T.
  • Interests, institutions and the welfare state. Studies on public opinion towards the welfare state
    Forma, P.
  • What makes people support public responsibility for welfare provision: self-interest or political ideology? A longitudinal approach
    Jaeger, M.M.
  • The effect of macroeconomic condition on the demand for redistribution: a pseudo panel approach
    Jaeger, M.M.
  • Welfare attitudes and social expenditure: do regimes shape public opinion?
    Jakobsen, T.G.
  • Hyvinvointipalvelujärjestelmän muutos ja suomalaisten mielipiteet 1996–2006 (Change of welfare services and the evolution of public opinion in Finland 1996–2006)
    Kallio, J.
  • Self-interest and the common good: the impact of norms, selfishness and context in social policy opinions
    Kangas, O.
  • Generationen in Familie und Gesellschaft (Generations in family and society)
    Kohli, M.; Szydlik, M.
  • Social policy and distributional conflict in the capitalist democracies
    Korpi, W.
  • Hyvinvointipalvelujen tavaratalossa. Palvelutalous ja sosiaalipolitiikka Englannissa, Ruotsissa ja Suomessa (Supermarket of Welfare Services. Service Economy and Social Policy in England, Sweden and Finland)
    Koskiaho, B.
  • From universalism to selectivism: the ideational turn of the anti-poverty policies in Finland
    Kuivalainen, S.; Niemelä, M.
  • Human values and welfare state support in Europe: an east–west divide?
    Kulin, J.; Meuleman, B.
  • Self-interest and altruism in intergenerational relations
    Logan, J.R.; Spitze, G.D.
  • The popular legitimacy of European healthcare systems: a multilevel analysis of 24 countries
    Missinne, S.; Meuleman, B.; Bracke, P.
  • The impact of the use of the social welfare services or social security benefits on attitudes to social welfare policies
    Muuri, A.
  • Analyses of welfare-state reform policies towards long-term senior care in a cross-European perspective
    Pfau-Effinger, B.
  • Tension between ‘consumerism’ in elderly care and social rights of family carers. a comparison between Germany and Denmark, Nordic
    Pfau-Effinger, B.; Jensen, P.H.; Och, R.
  • The multidimensionality of welfare state attitudes: a European cross-national study
    Roosma, F.; Gelissen, J.; van Oorschot, W.
  • The preferred role and perceived performance of the welfare state: European welfare attitudes from a multidimensional perspective
    Roosma, F.; van Oorscho, W.; Gelissen, J.
  • Dynamic cleavages of ‘welfare rights and duties’ in public attitude towards old-age pensions. A comparison study
    Sang-Hoon, A.; Soo-Wan, K.
  • The institutional framework of intergenerational family obligations in Europe: a conceptual and methodological overview
    Saraceno, C.; Keck, W.
  • Coming together or growing apart? Globalization, class and redistributive preferences
    Schöneck, N.M.; Mau, S.
  • Attitudes towards the welfare state have several dimensions. Evidence from Finland
    Sihvo, T.; Uusitalo, H.
  • Escaping the curse of economic self-interest: an individual-level analysis of public support for the welfare state in Japan
    Sumino, T.
  • The generational contract in Sweden: age-specific attitudes to age-related policies
    Svallfors, S.
  • Perheen vai yhteiskunnan vastuu? Suurten ikäluokkien auttamisasenteiden tarkastelua (Resposibility of Family or State? Focusing on attitudes towards help among baby boomers)
    Tanskanen, A.O.; Danielsbacka, M.
  • Vanhusten hoiva ja eriarvoisuus. Sosiaalisen ja taloudellisen taustan yhteys avun saamiseen ja palvelujen käyttöön (Elderly care and inequality. How social and economic background are connected to receiving help and usage of services)
    Van Aerschot, L.
  • Who should get what and why? On deservingness criteria and the conditionality of solidarity among the public
    van Oorschot, W.
  • Welfarism and the multidimensionality of welfare state legitimacy: evidence from the Netherlands
    Van Oorschot, W.; Meuleman, B.