Kinship and living arrangements in later life: the case of Taiwan

Authors

  • C. Chen The Institute of Economics, Academia Sinica, Nankang, Taipei

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21504/sajg.v2i1.19

Abstract

This article examines living arrangements in later life in Taiwan from the perspective of adult children. It focusses on the question of which adult child co-resides with his/her parents. It is hypothesized that the choice of living arrangement is primarily circumscribed by economic feasibility which varies during stages in the life cycle. Parents may live with children who are single or divorced, or who need their help. When all the children are married, they choose to live with those who are financially better off. Middle-aged children who have their own families are least likely to co-reside with parents. The article further addresses the question whether filial piety is abandoned by children who do not live with parents. A trend of declining frequency of visiting parents has been observed. Nevertheless, it has been found that children who have the greatest probability of living away from their parents tend to visit them most frequently.

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Published

1993-04-01