Inter-generational contact from a network perspective

Pathways for resource - or other - exchanges within families have long been known to be dependent on the structure of relations between generations ([Silverstein, 2011], [Fuller-Thomson et al., 1997], [Agree et al., 2005], [Treas and 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 and Leinhardt, 1972], [Wasserman and 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.