Value orientations play a crucial role for intergenerational solidarity as they are
linked to norms, expectations, and behaviors within families and societies. Earlier
studies have focused on family norms and obligations, relationship quality or
forms of reciprocity in mutual intergenerational support whereas they have less
frequently addressed general values and needs.
The question of how families with a migration background negotiate expectations
for mutual support between adult children and their parents is gaining importance
in light of a first generation of migrants close to retirement age, with studies
showing higher expectations for mutual intergenerational support.
The present study will focus on how values as guiding principles in people's lives
that express underlying motives or goals are related to intergenerational support
and reciprocity in the context of migration.
A sample of N = 134 young adults as well as their parents from Portuguese
compared to Luxembourgish families living in the Grand Duchy indicated their
preferences of ten human values as well as their mutual support (given and
received).
Results showed differences in support provision between Luxembourgish and
Portuguese families: whereas in Luxembourgish families, direction of support was
rather downward the generational ladder, in Portuguese families, young adults
indicated to provide as much support to parents as they received from them. As
far as relations to value orientations are concerned, whereas in Luxembourgish
families self-transcendence values were most strongly related to mutual support,
in Portuguese families also conservation values, in particular security, were
related to higher support exchange, whereas young adults' striving for stimulation
was related negatively to the readiness to support parents.
Results will be discussed in the framework of an integrative model of
intergenerational family relations, considering the specific role of security and
conservation in the context of migration and ageing.