Skip to main content
Original Articles and Reviews

Intergenerational Family Relations in Luxembourg

Family Values and Intergenerational Solidarity in Portuguese Immigrant and Luxembourgish Families

Published Online:https://doi.org/10.1027/1016-9040/a000125

According to the intergenerational solidarity model, family members who share similar values about family obligations should have a closer relationship and support each other more than families with a lower value consensus. The present study first describes similarities and differences between two family generations (mothers and daughters) with respect to their adherence to family values and, second, examines patterns of relations between intergenerational consensus on family values, affectual solidarity, and functional solidarity in a sample of 51 mother-daughter dyads comprising N = 102 participants from Luxembourgish and Portuguese immigrant families living in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. Results showed a small generation gap in values of hierarchical gender roles, but an acculturation gap was found in Portuguese mother-daughter dyads regarding obligations toward the family. A higher mother-daughter value consensus was related to higher affectual solidarity of daughters toward their mothers but not vice versa. Whereas affection and value consensus both predicted support provided by daughters to their mothers, affection mediated the relationship between consensual solidarity and received maternal support. With regard to mothers, only affection predicted provided support for daughters, whereas mothers’ perception of received support from their daughters was predicted by value consensus and, in the case of Luxembourgish mothers, by affection toward daughters.

References

  • Antonucci, T. C., Israel, B. A. (1986). Veridicality of social support: A comparison of principal and network members’ responses. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 54, 432–437. First citation in articleCrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • Baltes-Löhr, C. (2006). Migration und Identität. Portugiesische Frauen in Luxemburg [Migration and identity. Portuguese women in Luxembourg]. Frankfurt a. M.: IKO. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Baron, R. M., Kenny, D. A. (1986). The moderator-mediator variable distinction in social psychological research: Conceptual, strategic, and statistical considerations. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 51, 1173–1182. First citation in articleCrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • Bengtson, V. L., Roberts, R. E. (1991). Intergenerational solidarity in aging families: An example of formal theory construction. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 53, 856–870. First citation in articleCrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • Berger, F. (2008). Zoom sur les primo-arrivants portugais et leurs descendants [Zoom on the Portuguese first arrivals and their descendants]. Vivre au Luxembourg. Croniques de l’Enquête PSELL-3/2006, 49, 1–2. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Bernieri, F., Zuckerman, M., Koestner, R., Rosenthal, R. (1994). Measuring person perception accuracy: Another look at self-other agreement. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 20, 367–378. First citation in articleCrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • Berry, J. W. (1997). Immigration, acculturation, and adaptation. Applied Psychology: An International Review, 46, 5–34. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Birman, D. (2006). Measurement of the “acculturation gap” in immigrant families and implications for parent-child relationships. In M. H. Bornstein, L. R. Cote (Eds.), Acculturation and parent-child relationships: Measurement and development (pp. 113–134). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Boehnke, K. (2001). Parent-offspring value transmission in a societal context: Suggestions for a utopian research design with empirical underpinnings. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 32, 241–255. First citation in articleCrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • Boll, T., Ferring, D., Filipp, S.-H. (2003). Perceived parental differential treatment in middle adulthood: Curvilinear relations with relationship quality to sibling and parents. Journal of Family Psychology, 17, 472–487. First citation in articleCrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • Brown, T.A. (2006). Confirmatory factor analysis for applied research. New York, NY: The Guilford Press. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Cigoli, V., Scabini, E. (2006). Family identity: Ties, symbols, and transitions. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Daatland, S. O., Slagsvold, B., Lima, I. A. (2009). Population ageing, intergenerational solidarity and the family-welfare state balance: A comparative exploration. In United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (Eds.), How generations and gender shape demographic change. Towards policies based on better knowledge (pp. 127–138). Geneva: United Nations. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Dickes, P., Berzosa, G (2010). Pays multiculturel, pays multilingue? Un modèle pragmatique pour l’analyse des relations langagières au Luxembourg [Multicultural country, multilingual country? A pragmatic model for the analysis of language relations in Luxembourg]. Les Cahiers du CEPS/INSTEAD. Population & Emploi, 2010-16, 1–17. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Fehlen, F. (2008). Multilingualismus und Sprachenpolitik [Multilingualism and language policy]. In W. H. Loris, M. Hirsch (Eds.), Das politische System Luxemburgs (S. 45–61). Wiesbaden: VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften. First citation in articleCrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • Ferring, D., Michels, T., Boll, T., Filipp, S.-H. (2009). Relationship quality with ageing parents: On solidarity, conflicts, and ambivalence. European Journal of Ageing, 6, 253–265. First citation in articleCrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • Ferring, D., Thill, J., Leners, J.-P. (2008). Ist Altern noch bezahlbar? Perspektiven für Luxemburg [Is ageing still affordable? Perspectives for Luxembourg]. Reports from the Research Unit INSIDE, No. 1, University of Luxembourg. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Frazier, P. A., Tix, A. P., Barron, K. E. (2004). Testing moderator and mediator effects in counseling psychology research. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 51, 115–134. First citation in articleCrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • Georgas, J., Berry, J. W., Van de Vijver, F. J. R., Kagitcibasi, C., Poortinga, Y. H. (Eds). (2006). Families across cultures. A 30-nation psychological study. Cambridge: University Press. First citation in articleCrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • Giarrusso, R., Feng, D., Silverstein, M., Bengtson, V. L. (2001). Grandparent-adult grandchild affection and consensus: Cross-generational and cross-ethnic comparisons. Journal of Family Issues, 22, 456–477. First citation in articleCrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • Giarrusso, R., Stallings, M., Bengtson, V. L. (1995). The “intergenerational stake” hypothesis revisited: Parent-child differences in perceptions of relationships 20 years later. In V. L. Bengtson, K. W. Schaie, L. Burton (Eds.), Intergenerational issues in aging (pp. 227–263). New York, NY: Plenum. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Grob, A., Weisheit, W., Gomez, V. (2009). Similarity of life goals in the family: A three-generation study. In U. Schönpflug (Ed.), Cultural transmission: Psychological, developmental, social, and methodological aspects (pp. 338–369). New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Grusec, J. E., Goodnow, J. J. (1994). Impact of parental discipline methods on the child’s internalization of values: A reconceptualization of current points of view. Developmental Psychology, 30, 4–19. First citation in articleCrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • Hammarström, G. (2005). The construct of intergenerational solidarity in a lineage perspective: A discussion on underlying theoretical assumptions. Journal of Aging Studies, 19, 33–51. First citation in articleCrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • Hofstede, G. H. (2001). Culture’s consequences: Comparing values, behaviors, institutions, and organizations across nations (2nd edn.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Hu, L.-T., Bentler, P. M. (1999). Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis: Conventional criteria versus new alternatives. Structural Equation Modeling, 6, 1–55. First citation in articleCrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • Inglehart, R. (1997). Modernization and postmodernization: Cultural, economic, and political change in 43 societies. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. First citation in articleCrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • Kagitcibasi, C. (2006). Theoretical perspectives on family change. In J. Georgas, J. W. Berry, F. J. R. Van de Vijver, C. Kagitcibasi, Y. H. Poortinga (Eds.), Families across cultures (pp. 72–89). Cambridge: University Press. First citation in articleCrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • Merz, E.-M., Özeke-Kocabas, E., Oort, F., Schuengel, C. (2009). Intergenerational family solidarity: Value differences between immigrant groups and generations. Journal of Family Psychology, 23, 291–300. First citation in articleCrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • Phinney, J. S., Vedder, P. (2006). Family relationship values of adolescents and parents: Intergenerational discrepancies and adaptation. In J. W. Berry, J. S. Phinney, D. L. Sam, P. Vedder (Eds.), Immigrant youth in cultural transition: Acculturation, identity, and adaptation across national contexts (pp. 167–184). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Pinquart, M., Silbereisen, R. K. (2004). Transmission of values from adolescents to their parents: The role of value content and authoritative parenting. Adolescence, 39, 83–100. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Poortinga, Y. H., Georgas, J. (2006). Family portraits from 30 countries: An overview. In J. Georgas, J. W. Berry, F. J. R. Van de Vijver, C. Kagitcibasi, Y. H. Poortinga (Eds.), Families across cultures (pp. 90–99). Cambridge: University Press. First citation in articleCrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • Roest, A. M. C., Dubas, J. S., Gerris, J. R. M. (2010). Value transmissions between parents and children: Gender and developmental phase as transmission belts. Journal of Adolescence, 33, 21–31. First citation in articleCrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • Rossi, A. S., Rossi, P. H. (1990). Of human bonding: Parent-child relations across the life course. New York, NY: de Gruyter. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Sam, D. L., Virta, E. (2003). Intergenerational value discrepancies in immigrant and host national families and their impact on psychological adaptation. Journal of Adolescence, 26, 213–231. First citation in articleCrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • Schönpflug, U., Bilz, L. (2009). The transmission process: Mechanisms and contexts. In U. Schönpflug (Ed.), Cultural transmission: Psychological, developmental, social, and methodological aspects (pp. 212–239). New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Schulz, U., Schwarzer, R. (2003). Soziale Unterstützung bei der Krankheitsbewältigung. Die Berliner Social Support Skalen (BSSS) [Social support in coping with illness: The Berlin Social Support Scales (BSSS)]. Diagnostica, 49, 73–82. First citation in articleLinkGoogle Scholar

  • Statec . (2011). Etat de la population [State of the population]. Retrieved from www.statistiques.public.lu/stat/TableViewer/tableView.aspx?ReportId = 384&IF_Language = fra&MainTheme = 2&FldrName = 1&RFPath = 68 First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Trommsdorff, G. (2009). Intergenerational relations and cultural transmission. In U. Schönpflug (Ed.), Cultural transmission: Psychological, developmental, social, and methodological aspects (pp. 126–160). New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Trommsdorff, G., Schwarz, B. (2007). The “intergenerational stake hypothesis” in Indonesia and Germany. Adult daughters’ and their mothers’ perception of their relationship. Current Sociology, 55, 599–620. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • UNFPA . (2006). State of world population. Retrieved from www.unfpa.org/swp/2006/english/introduction.html First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Van de Vijver, F. J. R., Leung, K. (1997). Methods and data analysis for cross-cultural research. Newbury Park, CA: Sage. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Van Gaalen, R. I., Dykstra, P. A., Komter, A. E. (2010). Where is the exit? Intergenerational ambivalence and relationship quality in high contact ties. Journal of Aging Studies, 24, 105–114. First citation in articleCrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • Vedder, P., Berry, J., Sabatier, C., Sam, D. (2009). The intergenerational transmission of values in national and immigrant families: The role of Zeitgeist. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 38, 642–653. First citation in articleCrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • Vermulst, A. A., De Brock, A. J. L. L., Van Zutphen, R. A. H. (1991). Transmission of parenting across generations. In P. K. Smith (Ed.), The psychology of grandparenthood (pp. 100–122). London: Routledge. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Willems, H., Milmeister, P., Loris, W. H., Hirsch, M. (2008). Migration und integration [Migration and integration]. Das politische System Luxemburgs (S. 62-91). Wiesbaden: VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften. First citation in articleCrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • Winkeler, M., Filipp, S.-H., Boll, T. (2000). Positivity in the aged’s perceptions of intergenerational relationships: A “stake” or “leniency” effect? International Journal of Behavioral Development, 24, 173–182. First citation in articleCrossrefGoogle Scholar