title: Inter-generational contact from a network perspective.
abstract: Pathways for resource--or other--exchanges within families have long been known to be dependent on the structure of relations between generations (Agree et al., 2005; Fuller-Thomson et al., 1997; Silverstein, 2011; Treas & Marcum, 2011). Much life course research has theorized models of inter-generational exchange--including, the 'sandwich generation' (Miller, 1981) and the 'skipped generation' pathways (Chalfie, 1994)--but there is little work relating these theories to relevant network mechanisms such as liaison brokerage (Gould & Fernandez, 1989) and other triadic configurations (Davis & Leinhardt, 1972; Wasserman & Faust, 1994). To address this, a survey of models of resource allocation between members of inter-generational households from a network perspective is introduced in this paper. Exemplary data come from health discussion networks among Mexican-origin multi-generational households.
authors.affiliation: National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. Electronic address: chris.marcum@nih.gov.
authors.forename: Christopher Steven
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Marcum
authors.affiliation: National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
authors.forename: Laura M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Koehly
mesh_terms: D005191:Family Characteristics; D005195:Family Relations; D058015:Health Communication; D006801:Humans; D016901:Intergenerational Relations / Q000208:ethnology*; D017058:Mexican Americans; D012944:Social Support; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Family communication; Generations; Networks