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Childlessness, parenthood and subjective wellbeing: The relevance of conceptualizing parenthood and childlessness as a continuum

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  • Albertini, Marco
  • Arpino, Bruno

Abstract

The objective of the paper is to show the theoretical and practical relevance of conceptualizing and operationalizing parenthood and childlessness as a continuum – instead of a dichotomy - when evaluating the consequences of kinless-ness in later life. It is suggested that information on the number of children, structural and associational intergenerational solidarity can be utilized to operationalize the continuum. Subjective wellbeing is utilized as outcome of interest. Data from waves 2, 4, 5 and 6 of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe are used. The sample includes 183,545 respondents from 21 countries. Linear regression models with clustered standard errors are used. Childless older individuals report lower levels of life satisfaction than parents. However, the largest difference is observed between those with one and two children. Using a measure of associational intergenerational solidarity to weight the degree of parenthood it is shown that parents who have infrequent contact with children report significantly lower levels of life satisfaction than childless individuals. Kinless-ness is not only a demographic but also a social condition. When studying the consequences of ageing alone it is essential to consider not only the presence and “quantity” of kin, but also its “quality”.

Suggested Citation

  • Albertini, Marco & Arpino, Bruno, 2018. "Childlessness, parenthood and subjective wellbeing: The relevance of conceptualizing parenthood and childlessness as a continuum," SocArXiv xtfq6, Center for Open Science.
    • Handle: RePEc:osf:socarx:xtfq6
    DOI: 10.31219/osf.io/xtfq6
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Nicoletta Balbo & Bruno Arpino, 2016. "The Role of Family Orientations in Shaping the Effect of Fertility on Subjective Well-being: A Propensity Score Matching Approach," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 53(4), pages 955-978, August.
    2. Rachel Margolis & Ashton M. Verdery, 2017. "Older Adults Without Close Kin in the United States," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 72(4), pages 688-693.
    3. Tsang, Eric W. K., 2014. "Old and New," Management and Organization Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 10(03), pages 390-390, November.
    4. Arnstein Aassve & Bruno Arpino & Nicoletta Balbo, 2016. "It Takes Two to Tango: Couples’ Happiness and Childbearing," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 32(3), pages 339-354, August.
    5. Zhenmei Zhang & Mark D. Hayward, 2001. "Childlessness and the Psychological Well-Being of Older Persons," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 56(5), pages 311-320.
    6. David Reher & Miguel Requena, 2017. "Elderly women living alone in Spain: the importance of having children," European Journal of Ageing, Springer, vol. 14(3), pages 311-322, September.
    7. Sheung-Tak Cheng & Trista Wai Sze Chan & Geoff H. K. Li & Edward M. F. Leung, 2014. "Childlessness and Subjective Well-being in Chinese Widowed Persons," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 69(1), pages 48-52.
    8. Romina Boarini & Margherita Comola & Conal Smith & Robert Manchin & Femke de Keulenaer, 2012. "What Makes for a Better Life?: The Determinants of Subjective Well-Being in OECD Countries – Evidence from the Gallup World Poll," OECD Statistics Working Papers 2012/3, OECD Publishing.
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    Cited by:

    1. Aurea Grané & Irene Albarrán & Roger Lumley, 2020. "Visualizing Inequality in Health and Socioeconomic Wellbeing in the EU: Findings from the SHARE Survey," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(21), pages 1-18, October.
    2. Elitsa Dimitrova & Tatyana Kotzeva, 2022. "Contested Parenthood: Attitudes Toward Voluntary Childlessness as a Life Strategy in Post‐Socialist Bulgaria," Social Inclusion, Cogitatio Press, vol. 10(3), pages 172-183.

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