Purposes: This study aims to explore whether the social exchange theory and familism can explain caregiving behavior for older parents of dual-earner families by verifying the social exchange theory which claims that as rewards are superior to costs, ...
Purposes: This study aims to explore whether the social exchange theory and familism can explain caregiving behavior for older parents of dual-earner families by verifying the social exchange theory which claims that as rewards are superior to costs, caregiving behavior increases. More specifically, we explore whether rewards and costs for supporting old parents and their familism influence on caregiving behavior of dual-earner families.
Methods: A survey for this study was carried out over married couples living Seoul and Metropolitan area who have parents of age above 60 and at least one child. The survey was accomplished from January to April 2005. Two hundred forty questionnaires were distributed among them 187 were collected and finally total 164 questionnaires were used in analysis. We use frequency analysis and multiple regression analysis as well as hierarchical multiple regression analysis method.
Results: Outcomes of this study can be summarized by 6 results:
First of all, factors influencing economic caregiving behavior for older parents were emotional reward and service cost. As perceiving more emotional rewards and more service costs, economic caregiving behavior increased.
Secondly, factors influencing emotional caregiving behavior were emotional reward and service reward, economic cost. As perceiving more emotional and service rewards and less economic costs, emotional caregiving behavior increased.
Thirdly, familism didn't influence all caregiving behavior for older parents of dual-earner families. Therefore, in this study, familism was not adequate factor explaining caregiving behavior for older parents of modern dual-earner families.
Finally, emotional and service rewards influenced every caregiving behavior except economic caregiving behavior showing that emotional reward is most important factor in caregiving older parents.
Implications: The point of this research is that targets of survey are both husbands and wives so that common opinions of married couples were looked over.
Moreover, this study recognized limit that mutually different areas, such as reward and cost, can not be compared directly. Therefore we used indirect verification method of the social exchange theory. In verifying the social exchange theory thereby, this study revealed the necessity of more stringent measure and methodology.
Further, by finding out factors influencing caregiving behavior for older parents of dual-earner families, this study offered basic data making systemic and practical alternatives to increase caregiving behavior for older parents of dual-earner families.
Finally, familism of modern dual-earner families is so weak and becomes gradually fainter. Therefore, familism can not be a major factors in caregiving behavior for older parents. This study is also very suggestive in relation to the elderly caregiving support policy hereafter by finding out that caregiving aspects of Korean married adult-children have been westernized gradually.