Within-Family Differences in Intergenerational Contact: The Role of Gender Norms in a Patrilineal Society

Abstract

Intergenerational contact is important to older adults’ quality of life, but less is known about within-family differences in older parents’ contact between sons and daughters, especially in countries with patrilineal traditions. Applying latent profile analysis to data on 3,228 Korean older adults’ frequency of meeting and communication with each of their children, this study identified within-family patterns of intergenerational contact. Nearly half of parents exhibited gender-balanced patterns of meeting across children, while 13% reported “more frequent contact with daughters” and 39% reported “more frequent contact with sons.” On the other hand, “equally high contact” (77%) was the most common pattern for communication. Multinomial regression results showed that the derived patterns were differentiated by parents’ education, marital status, region, economic satisfaction, health, and depressive symptoms. The results highlighted the enduring nature of patrilineal traditions as well as the differing patterns of contact that Korean older adults have with their children.