Tekijät

• Fågel, Stina (Family Federation of Finland. Population Research Institute)
• Ritamies, Marketta (Family Federation of Finland. Population Research Institute)

Asiasanat

attitudes, family members, financial support, moral values, parent-child relationship, social welfare

Sisällön kuvaus

The survey studied how different generations help each other in Finland, focusing on help received by Finnish adults aged 18-46. The respondents were asked what was the main reason for moving away from their childhood home, and with whom they lived at the time of the survey. They were also asked whether certain changes had occurred in their life or in the life of their spouse during the past year (e.g. starting studying, buying an apartment, losing a job, birth of a child).

Further questions covered communication and help received: how far the close relatives lived, how often the respondents communicated with them on the phone, how often they had met with them during the past year, what was the basis of being in contact with them, etc. The respondents were asked to give an estimate of the economic position of the close relatives who had helped them, in what matters they had received help during the past year, and how they had experienced this help. The respondents were asked in what kinds of phases of life they had received financial help from their parents and those of the spouse. Welfare benefits and income transfers received were surveyed. The respondents were asked how they thought the main responsibility for the care of children and the elderly should be divided in the near future: whether society, private organisations/church, or family/relatives shoud be responsible for that. After this, the respondents were asked for an estimate of how the need for help will change in the coming years, and whether they had helped close relatives during the past year with, for instance, household chores or by giving advice. The most important areas in the respondents' lives and leisure activities of their close relatives were charted. The respondents were asked in which types of communities they had lived, and whether their close relatives had had to take care of their ageing parents during the past year. In conclusion, opinions on co-operation between parents and grown-up children in general were surveyed.

Background variables included the respondent's gender, marital status, education, own and spouse's economic activity, household income, information about the respondent's and spouse's family (e.g. number and gender of siblings, education, occupation, parents' health at the moment).