• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.87-105
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• 2014

The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors associated with instrumental support (i.e., economic and practical support) from parents to their adult children. We examined both parents' attitudes toward instrumental support for adult children and parents' actual provision of instrumental support. From the data of the 2010 second National Survey of Korean Families, we selected 532 mothers and 524 fathers who were married and had at least one adult child aged over 25. Multiple regression analyses by the parents' gender showed that fathers were more likely to agree with instrumental support for adult children in general when they had unmarried children, had a lower household income level, had a lower evaluation of their socio-economic class, were satisfied with their own household economic situation, had positive attitudes toward caregiving for elderly parents, and were satisfied with their couple relationships. For mothers, they were more likely to agree with instrumental support for adult children in general when they had positive attitudes toward caregiving for elderly parents, were satisfied with their couple relationships, and perceived their child as someone to rely on in times of difficulties. Our analyses of the actual provision of support indicated that fathers tended to provide more support when they perceived that they were healthy, had unmarried children, were less satisfied with their household economic situation, had negative attitudes toward child-rearing, and reported a higher quality of parent-child relationship. For mothers, they were more likely to provide actual support when they were healthy, had unmarried children, had a higher level of household income, were financially preparing for later life, and less satisfied with their couple relationships. The findings of this study imply that it is imperative to distinguish the attitudes toward support from the actual provision of support and to also consider parents' gender in the literature on instrumental support for adult children.

• Korean Journal of Child Studies
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.65-76
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• 2002

In this study, 354 college students responded to questionnaires on parental roles, and their parents' and their own attitudes about childrearing. Data were analyzed by SPSS. Findings were that most college students perceived instrumental reasons for becoming a parent, and the parental role as consultant and provision of financial support. Most college students thought that mothers and fathers gave equal responsibility for raising children, that information on childrearing is to be found among friends and other adults, and that pre-parenthood education is important. They perceived their own parents to be satisfied with their parental roles, and they perceived both their patents and themselves to hold favorable attitudes about childrearing. Students' attitudes about childrearing correlated positively with their perceptions about their parents' childrearing attitudes.