Trends in living arrangements in Europe: Convergence or divergence?

This article uses data from the Labour Force Surveys to examine trends in the living arrangements of European men and women aged 20 to 75 between 1987 and 2002. Some trends, like the decline in mean household size and the increase in living as a lone mother have occurred all across Europe. Other trends have been more pronounced or have even been limited to specific parts of Europe. In combination, it appears that the differences in living arrangements across Europe might have grown larger in the last fifteen to twenty years. Large differences in living arrangements remain along geographical divides.cross-national differences, Europe, gender differences, Labour Force Survey, living arrangements, second demographic transition, trends

The effects of integration and transnational ties on international return migration intentions

While return migration is receiving increasing attention, there is still insufficient insight into the factors which determine migrants’ intentions and decisions to return. It is often assumed that integration in receiving countries and the concomitant weakening of transnational ties decreases the likelihood of returning. However, according to alternative theoretical interpretations, return migration can also be the outflow of successful integration in receiving countries. Drawing on a data set of four African immigrant groups in Spain and Italy, this articlereviews these conflicting hypotheses by assessing the effects of integration and transnational ties on return migration intentions. The results of the analysis suggest that socio-cultural integration has a negative effect on return migration intentions, while economic integration and transnational ties have more ambiguous and sometimes positive effects. The results provide mixed support for the different hypotheses but question theoretical perspectives that unequivocally conceptualizereturn migration and transnationalism as causes and/or consequences of "integration failure".Africa, Europe, integration, international migration, return migration, transnationalism

Ouderenzorg moet homovriendelijker

Homo-organisaties en sleutelfiguren signaleren met regelmaat dat homoseksuele ouderen weer ‘in de kast gaan’, of verwachten dat te doen, zodra zij afhankelijk worden van zorg door derden. Dit geldt niet alleen bij verhuizing naar een zorginstelling, maar ook voor degenen die thuis formele zorg behoeven. Ook landelijke studies naar zorgbehoeften van en zorgverlening aan homoseksuele ouderen bevestigen dit beeld

Life events, social conditions and residential mobility among older adults

This study explores whether and how social conditions—ties to kin and friends as well as loneliness—are related to older adults' residential mobility, in general, and in combination with a late-life event, specifically. Drawing on panel data from the US Health and Retirement Study (N = 9107), logistic regression models examine whether older adult moves are triggered by life events (retirement, widowhood and health deterioration) and loneliness, and discouraged by the presence of nearby social ties (family and friends). The results indicate that becoming retired, becoming widowed, nearby family and nearby friends are indeed independently associated with moving. Loneliness is also associated with residential mobility, even when controlling for nearby family and friends. Social conditions do not, however, moderate the effect of late-life events on older adults' residential mobility. The only exception is the moderating role of loneliness on the effect of retirement: contrary to our expectation, the likelihood of postretirement moves declines with increasing levels of loneliness.</p

De aanpak van eenzaamheid

Veel mensen in Nederland zijn eenzaam. Vaak heeft dat te maken met het overlijden van een naaste, scheiding, ziekte, pensionering, verhuizing en een opeenstapeling van problemen. Meestal is eenzaamheid tijdelijk. Langdurige eenzaamheid vermindert de kwaliteit van leven en kan leiden tot ernstige lichamelijke en psychische klachten. Eenzaamheid is ook een maatschappelijk probleem. Denk aan maatschappelijk ongewenst gedrag, verwaarlozing en verslaving. Eenzaam zijn is nog steeds taboe en daardoor ook een verborgen probleem. Mensen willen noch aan zichzelf noch aan anderen toegeven dat ze eenzaam zijn. Via interventies wordt geprobeerd om de eenzaamheid te bestrijden. Er bestaan evenwel hardnekkige misverstanden rond eenzaamheid. Zo zou eenzaamheid zijn toegenomen door de voortschrijdende individualisering, zouden vooral ouderen en alleenstaanden er last van hebben en zou een contactrijke omgeving de eenzaamheid verminderen. Veel zaken kunnen de interventie echter in de weg staan en daardoor de kans op succes verminderen. Eenzaamheid is een complex verschijnsel, van buitenaf niet waarneembaar, en kent vele oorzaken en oplossingsmogelijkheden

Norms of filial obligation in the Netherlands

In this article we examine to what extent norms of filial obligation in the Netherlands are shaped by group value patterns, family constellation, possibilities for helping others, and actual experiences of support exchange. The data are drawn from the first wave of the combined main and migrant sample of the Netherlands Kinship Panel Study, the Dutch participant in the Generations and Gender Programme. The Dutch appear reluctant to prescribe how other people should behave towards their ageing parents. Value patterns are the strongest determinants of filial norms, with migrants, the low-educated, and persons with religious beliefs espousing strong filial norms. Contrary to what traditional gender roles would suggest, women less strongly endorse norms of filial obligation than men, and contrary to the notion that divorce weakens family ties, divorcees and children of divorce do not exhibit less commitment to filial norms. Altruistic tendencies are evident in the weaker filial norms among the older age groups, and among those with non co-resident children. Finally, the results show a high level of consonance between actual support exchanges and filial norms

Being lonely later in life: a qualitative study among Albanians and Moroccans in Italy

ABSTRACT This study focuses on the social wellbeing of older migrants in Italy, an important yet neglected topi

Vergrijzing: ramp of uitdaging

De veranderingen in het demografische landschap van ederland zijn snel gegaan.Wetenschappers en politici zijn nog druk bezig met het in kaart brengen van die veranderingen en het doorgronden van hun betekenis. Er is ook veel negativisme en mythevorming. Dit geldt vooral wanneer over onze vergrijzende samenleving wordt gesproken. Rampenscenario’s worden geschetst: de gezondheidszorg en de AOW worden onbetaalbaar, de kosten van de pensioenen zullen exponentieel toenemen, de arbeidsmarkt zal verstarren en de capaciteit van de mantelzorg zal ontoereikend zijn. Het gebrek aan demografische basiskennis in veel van deze toekomstschetsen is opvallend. Daarom hier een beeld dat de demografische realiteit minder geweld aandoet

The Netherlands: Childbearing within the context of a "Poldermodel" society

The Netherlands has seen a considerable decline of the period total fertility rate and delayed childbearing, just like all other European countries. The drop in fertility, however, has not been as sharp as in many other regions of Europe. The period total fertility rate in the Netherlands has stabilized since the late 1970s at around 1.6 children per woman, and it has even risen slightly since 1995. In addition, although the Netherlands has one of the oldest first-time mothers, completed fertility is still rather high compared to other European countries, suggesting a strong “catching up†of births by women in their thirties. This chapter provides a comprehensive overview of the main driving forces behind specific fertility trends in the Netherlands. Among other factors, it focuses on changing patterns of home leaving and union formation, declining partnership stability, and the growing acceptability and use of contraception. The chapter also looks at prolonged education, rising labor-force participation of women, economic uncertainties, the growing migrant population, and family policies. Data allowing, and to the extent possible, we examine the effects of these factors on decision-making about parenthood and the timing of childbearing.childbearing, Europe, fertility, Netherlands

Non-kin ties as a source of support in Europe: Understanding the role of cultural and institutional contexts

This study scrutinises the role of cultural and institutional contexts in shaping Europeans’ choices for a source of support. We draw attention to an often overlooked source of support: non-kin. Taking an interdisciplinary theoretical approach, we formulate a number of hypotheses on the impact of individualistic values, familialistic norms, generalised trust, and social protection expenditure. We test these contextual hypotheses by means of multilevel multinomia