Perceived Obligations of Remarried Households to Provide Financial Assistance to Younger Family Members

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine perceived obligations of stepparents to provide financial assistance to adult stepchildren. Building on previous research, this study examined both contextual and ideological variables that may be related to perceptions of normative obligations. College student participants (N = 218) perceived higher levels of obligations to adult stepchildren whose financial need was not their fault as compared to adult stepchildren who were perceived as responsible for having financial needs. Also, perceptions of obligations were negatively related to ideologies consistent with traditional beliefs about marriage and with familism. This study highlights the need for more research and the need for policymakers to attend to how diversity in family structures is likely related to differences in intergenerational transfers.

Key Words:

• Intergenerational relationships
• intergenerational transfer
• stepfamily relationships