Care-receivers’ expected intergenerational support in aging rural China: A perspective of sustainable livelihoods and the sandwich effect

Abstract

Expected intergenerational support reflects how potential care-receivers estimate the future supply of and demand for intergenerational support. The population of rural China is aging quickly, and future care-receivers in rural China are today’s young and middle-aged, who are now experiencing a decline in fertility as well as urbanization and migration. These changes influence the distribution of resources across generations within families and may cause the young and middle-aged to revise their expectations of intergenerational support. We focus on a “sandwich effect,” in which the young and middle-aged care for children and elderly parents simultaneously. Using survey data, we find that with respect to the expected supply of intergenerational support there are three categories; we call them “traditional concern,” “urbanized concern,” and “aging risk concern.” Expected demand for intergenerational support also has categorical features: A minority expects high demand with a preference for financial and instrumental support, while the majority expects low demand but focused on emotional support. Families’ sustainable livelihoods have significant impacts on individuals’ expectations of intergenerational support. The “sandwich effect” plays moderating roles on the relationships between families’ sustainable livelihoods and individual expectations.