Elderly Fathers in Russia after Divorce: Gender Differences in the Intergenerational Transfers

Abstract

Regarding the aging population, the question of care and financial support of the elderly becomes increasingly relevant. At the same time, the rise of divorce and separation becomes a very strong trend in modern society. Due to the absence of joint custody in Russia, the connection between fathers and children weakens after divorce and in this context the research question is: Do children help their elderly fathers after divorce, and what is the gender specificity in upward transfers after divorce? The object of this study is to examine the transfers that elderly Russian men and women receive from their children. This research is based on data from the “Comprehensive Monitoring of Living Conditions of the Population” conducted in Russia in 2014. The target sample consisted of 113 000 persons over 15 years old—37 787 of which were over retirement age. The survey covered all regions of the Russian Federation. The method used in this analysis is mainly descriptive statistics and correlation tables. According to the results there is a considerable gap between elderly men and women in getting help from their children due to weakened connections between children and their fathers after divorce. This problem can be solved by developing institutions of social protection, but unfortunately such institutions in Russia have not yet been sufficiently developed.