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Intergenerational Transfers, Social Solidarity, and Social Policy: Unanswered Questions and Policy Challenges

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 November 2023

Susan A. McDaniel
Susan A. McDaniel*
Affiliation:
University of Alberta
*
Requests for reprints should be sent to:/Les demandes de reproduction doivent être adressées à: Susan A. McDaniel, Department of Sociology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H4
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Abstract

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Intergenerational transfers are the essence of societal continuity, and yet not at all well conceptualized or analysed. Intergenerational transfers are also at the core of the welfare state concept of redistribution of resources and hence, of current social policy changes/challenges. In making a difference to policy choices and in linking research to policy, attention to intergenerational transfers focusses on the fundamental policy questions of guiding belief systems, family (or private) transfers versus public transfers among generations, and issues of intergenerational and cohort equity in the short and longer terms. This paper has four objectives: (1) Situating intergenerational transfers in socio-historical, international comparative, and current social policy contexts; (2) Developing a typology of intergenerational transfers that could provide the basis for answering thus far unanswerable key policy questions, such as whether the situations of seniors into future generations will be like those of seniors today; (3) Encouraging the collection of more complete and integrated data on intergenerational transfers in Canada, which would provide for more informed policy choices; and (4) Enumerating key policy questions that emerge from research and remain to be addressed. From analysis of what is known about intergenerational transfers and what remains to be known, an agenda for an information system, for future research and for addressing policy questions is outlined.

Résumé

Résumé

Le transfert intergénérationnel constitue l'essence de la continuité sociétale et pourtant, il demeure mal conceptualise et analysé. II se situe également au centre du concept de l'état sur le bien-être quant à la redistribution des ressources et partant, des changements/défis actuels quant aux mesures sociales. Tout en ayant un effet sur le choix des politiques et en créant un lien entre celles-ci et la recherche, l'attention portée sur le transfert intergénérationnel se concentre sur les questions fondamentales des systèmes de croyance, sur les transferts familiaux (ou privés) opposés aux transferts publics entre les générations et sur la question de l'équite intergénérationnelle et entre les cohortes, à court et à long termes. Cet article comporte quatre objectifs: (1) Situer les transferts intergénérationnels dans leurs contextes socio-historiques, internationaux et en fonction des politiques sociales actuelles. (2) Établir une typologie des transferts intergénérationnels qui pourrait constituer une base de réponses aux questions clés demeurées irrésolues jusqu'a maintenant, â savoir par exemple si la situation des aînés des generations à venir sera semblable à celle d'aujourd'hui. (3) Favoriser la collecte de données complètes et intégrées sur les transferts intergénérationnels au Canada, ce qui permettrait des choix plus avisés en matière de politiques. (4) Faire ressortir les questions de politiques qui n'auront pas été résolues par la recherche. À partir de l'analyse des facteurs de transferts intergénérationnels connus et de ceux qui restent à découvrir, on a établi un agenda de système d'information et de recherche éventuelle sur les questions de politiques.

Keywords

IntergenerationalPolicySolidarityIntergénérationnelpolitiquessolidarité
Type
Research Article
Information
Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement , Volume 16 , Issue S1: Bridging Policy and Research on Aging/Tisser des liens entre les politiques et la recherche relative au vieillissement , Spring Printemps 1997 , pp. 1 - 21
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Association on Gerontology 1997

Footnotes

*

Revised version of a paper invited for the plenary session, Intergenerational Transfers and Social Tensions, National Conference of the Institute of Public Administration Canada (IPAC), 25-28 August 1996, Victoria, B.C. The invitation from the organizers of the 1996 IPAC National Conference is appreciated. Thanks go as well to Kerri Calvert, Kelly Higgins, Sheryl McInnes, Douglas Wahlsten, and to colleagues on an ad hoc Statistics Canada advisory group (Arthur Kroeger, Noah Meltz, and Ian McKinnon). Any errors or omissions, of course, remain the author's responsibility.

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