THE STRUCTURE OF INTERGENERATIONAL EXCHANGES IN AMERICAN FAMILIES

Intergenerational support is analyzed using data from the National Sur vey of Families and Households. The authors find evidence that a syste matic latent structure of intergenerational exchange characterizes the giving and receiving of support. Overall, one-half of Americans do no t routinely engage in giving or receiving relationships with their par ents and only about one in 10 are engaged in extensive exchange relati onships. Parents are assisted more often in situations of poor health, and more often receive assistance when they have young children. Assi stance in time of need is not uniform and is rarely extensive. Interge nerational assistance is constrained by family structure and the needs and resources of each generation. African-Americans are consistently less likely than whites to be involved in intergenerational assistance . In each generation, men receive as much altruistic support as women; higher levels of giving and receiving of aid among American women are due to their greater involvement in exchange.