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

Katharina Herlofson and Gunhild Hagestad
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Katharina Herlofson: Norsk Institutt for Forskning om Oppvekst, Velferd og Aldring (NOVA)
Gunhild Hagestad: Norsk Institutt for Forskning om Oppvekst, Velferd og Aldring (NOVA)

Demographic Research, 2011, vol. 25, issue 10, 337-370

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.

Keywords: gender; population aging; generation; family structure; micro- and macro-approaches; multigenerational family structures (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J1 Z0 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2011
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:dem:demres:v:25:y:2011:i:10

DOI: 10.4054/DemRes.2011.25.10

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