Publication
Non-kin ties as a source of support amongst older adults ‘left behind’ in Poland: a quantitative study on the role of geographic distance
Ageing & Society , 2019
URL, JabRef BibTex, Abstract
Ageing & Society , 2019
URL, JabRef BibTex, Abstract
In the transition to democracy and a market economy, the Central and EasternEuropean countries experienced rapid and fundamental changes. Large-scale emi-grationflows and pronounced reductions in previously universal welfare systemsincreased the phenomenon of‘left behind’older adults. We examine this phenom-enon in the case of Poland, a rather family-oriented society which in recent years sentmost emigrants to Western Europe in absolute terms. Employing a support systemframework and representative survey data, we enquire into older adults’supportpatterns. Our results suggest that older adults in Poland rely predominantly onfamily support, although this varies greatly across living arrangements. We alsofind a positive association between distance separating parents and their closestchild, and support from at least one non-kin. Yet, ourfindings reveal differencesbetween practical and emotional support, with the latter being more likely to beprovided by non-kin, but with distance mattering to a lesser degree. Parentswith very distant child(ren) are few and differ only from parents with veryproximate child(ren), afinding prompting the question as to what is thedifference between being‘left behind’by international and by internal migration.We conclude that the phenomenon of‘left behind’in Poland, at least in terms ofsupport, is less a matter of children’s migration and more an issue of householdand regional context.
Reference
@article{Conkova2019a,
author = {Nina Conkova and Russell King},
title = {Non-kin ties as a source of support amongst older adults ‘left behind’ in Poland: a quantitative study on the role of geographic distance},
year = {2019},
journal = {Ageing & Society },
volume = {39},
number = {6},
pages = {1255-1280},
month = {Jun},
url = {https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/F2AB8D5BABFC6CC32C89FFFC5198DE9F/S0144686X17001507a.pdf/div-class-title-non-kin-ties-as-a-source-of-support-amongst-older-adults-left-behind-in-poland-a-quantitative-study-on-the-role-of-geographic-distance-div.pdf},
timestamp = {11.06.2019},
abstract = {In the transition to democracy and a market economy, the Central and EasternEuropean countries experienced rapid and fundamental changes. Large-scale emi-grationflows and pronounced reductions in previously universal welfare systemsincreased the phenomenon of‘left behind’older adults. We examine this phenom-enon in the case of Poland, a rather family-oriented society which in recent years sentmost emigrants to Western Europe in absolute terms. Employing a support systemframework and representative survey data, we enquire into older adults’supportpatterns. Our results suggest that older adults in Poland rely predominantly onfamily support, although this varies greatly across living arrangements. We alsofind a positive association between distance separating parents and their closestchild, and support from at least one non-kin. Yet, ourfindings reveal differencesbetween practical and emotional support, with the latter being more likely to beprovided by non-kin, but with distance mattering to a lesser degree. Parentswith very distant child(ren) are few and differ only from parents with veryproximate child(ren), afinding prompting the question as to what is thedifference between being‘left behind’by international and by internal migration.We conclude that the phenomenon of‘left behind’in Poland, at least in terms ofsupport, is less a matter of children’s migration and more an issue of householdand regional context.}
}