Intergenerational living arrangements and older parents’ happiness in China: The role of family social capital

This study contributes a comprehensive framework to examine the roles of family social capital and gender in the association between intergenerational living arrangements and old parents’ happiness. Analyzing data from the Chinese General Social Survey 2017 (N = 1200), we find that intergenerational living arrangements have become increasingly diverse in contemporary China, with two-thirds of older parents not in coresidence with their adult children or grandchildren. Compared to older parents who live in network families, those in stem families report greater happiness, whereas those in truncated-stem families experience reduced happiness. Additionally, family social capital plays a mediating role in the associations between intergenerational living arrangements and old parents’ happiness. The moderation analysis further indicates that the positive effect of stem family arrangements on family interactions is stronger for older mothers than for fathers. These findings make it explicit that Chinese elders’ happiness is shaped by both their physical living environment and the social resources available within it, demonstrating the nuanced influencing mechanisms underlying the diversifying family structures. Future policies and intervention programs aimed to improve older adults’ subjective wellbeing should both consider their intergenerational living patterns and foster family interactions and support.