Both filial responsibility norms (from adult children to their elderly parents) and parental responsibility norms (from elderly parents to their grown-up children) display a clear East-West gradient. The gradient is however steeper in the case of filial norms. In both cases, the support for family norms is lower in Norway and higher in Georgia. In the North-west European countries, filial norms were moreover found to have a more open character in that adult children are expected to help older parents in case of need, but not necessarily to adjust their working lives to their parents’ needs. Stronger, and more unconditional norms, were instead observed in Eastern Europe.
Average value of the index of filial responsibility and the index of parental responsibility in seven European countries a
a: Mean score of a two-item index with each item measured from ‘0’(totally disagree) to ‘4(totally agree). A higher score thus indicates a stronger support for filial/parental obligations.Source: Daatland, S.O., Herlofson, K., Lima, I.A. (2011). Balancing generations: on the strength and character of family norms in the West and East of Europe. Ageing & Society, 31 (7): 1159—1179.
