Family Exchanges Study Series

The Family Exchanges Study interviewed three generations of family members in 2008 and 2013 in order to expand knowledge of intergenerational transfers by addressing the psychological processes underlying family support. Of specific interest were how and why individuals choose between self, spouse, parent, and children, as well as how they choose among multiple parents or step-parents and children in allocation of their time, emotional energy, and material assets. The study explored how people's motives differ with regard to tangible and intangible allocations in both the present and future time frames. 

 

The Family Exchanges Study (FESI) began in 2008 and was conducted by the Institute for Survey Research at Temple University. The original "target" or core sample was recruited from African American and White respondents aged 40-60 living in Philadelphia and the surrounding counties -- Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery. To be eligible for the study, respondents had to have at least one living parent and one living offspring over 18 years of age. Temple University sought to recruit the parents, spouse, and up to three offspring over 18 years of age into the study. All target, parent, and spouse surveys were conducted by telephone. Offspring were given the option of completing the survey by telephone or web.

 

 

For the Wave 2 data collection, the Survey Research Center at Pennsylvania State University attempted to contact all FESI respondents again, as well as collect updated information for spouses/romantic partners, parents, and up to 4 age-eligible offspring. The survey instruments were drawn largely from the first wave of data collection.

  • Demographic information includes gender, marital status, education level, religion, age, race, ethnicity, and employment status.
  • The data are not weighted and do not contain any weights.
  • The linking variable FAMID can be used to link the four main datasets within each wave and also to link wave 2 data with wave 1.
  • The linking variable CASEID can be used to link the diary data for target, parent, and offspring to the main data within wave 2.

This study was supported by grants from the National Institute on Aging (NIA), R01AG027769, Family Exchanges Study II (Karen L. Fingerman, Principal investigator). TheMacArthur Network on an Aging Society (John W. Rowe, Network director) provided funds. This research also was supported by grant, 5 R24 HD042849 awarded to the Population Research Center (PRC) at The University of Texas at Austin by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD).