Safety Nets and Scaffolds: Parental Support in the Transition to Adulthood

Using longitudinal data from the Youth Development Study (analytic sample N = 712), we investigate how age, adult role acquisition and attainments, family resources, parent—child relationship quality, school attendance, and life events influence support received from parents in young adulthood. Pare...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of marriage and family 2011-04, Vol.73 (2), p.414-429
Main Authors: Swartz, Teresa Toguchi, Kim, Minzee, Uno, Mayumi, Mortimer, Jeylan, O'Brien, Kirsten Bengtson
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adjustment (to Environment)
Adolescents
Adult children
Adulthood
Adults
Age
Attendance
Child Rearing
Children
Cultural Capital
Cultural Differences
Developmental Studies Programs
Economic models
Employment Problems
Enrollment
Family (Sociological Unit)
Family relations
Family Roles
Family Support
Housing
Human Capital
Individual Development
Influence
intergenerational transfers
Interpersonal Relations
Life Stage Transitions
longitudinal
Longitudinal Studies
Mothers
Parent Child Relationship
Parent Influence
Parent Role
parent-child relations
Parents
Parents & parenting
Personal development
Personal relationships
Role playing
Safety
Scaffolding (Teaching Technique)
School Attendance
Sexuality. Marriage. Family relations
Social Characteristics
Social Class
Social Influences
Social Science Research
Social support
Sociology
Sociology of the family. Age groups
transition to adulthood
Transitions
Unemployment
Unions
Young Adults
Youth
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Summary:Using longitudinal data from the Youth Development Study (analytic sample N = 712), we investigate how age, adult role acquisition and attainments, family resources, parent—child relationship quality, school attendance, and life events influence support received from parents in young adulthood. Parental assistance was found to be less forthcoming for those who had made greater progress on the road to adulthood, signified by socioeconomic attainment and union formation. The quality of mother—child and father—child relationships affected parental support in different ways, positively for mothers, negatively for fathers. School enrollment, negative life events, and employment problems were associated with a greater likelihood of receiving support. The findings suggest that parents act as "scaffolding' and "safety nets" to aid their children's successful transition to adulthood.
ISSN:0022-2445
1741-3737
DOI:10.1111/j.1741-3737.2010.00815.x