Issues concerning links between intergenerational expectations at family and societal levels are investigated with survey data from 1,200 respondents aged 40 and over. Both family- and societal-level expectations reflect “generational altruism.” Personal family characteristics and circumstances have little relations to general expectations about parents and children, but family solidarity is related to family expectations, primarily with regard to children. Attitudes about societal-level intercohort relations have little association with personal family circumstances or solidarity. However, expectations about children are related to societal expectations, suggesting that solidarity (and altruism) at the micro level of family ties has some relations to solidarity (and altruism) at the macro level of intercohort relations.
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