Older migrants as transmitters of values and culture

The intergenerational transmission of values is a key feature of intergenerational family relations. A continuity in values can strengthen intergenerational bonds, family identity and loyalty as well as facilitating the communication and mutual understanding of different family generations. In the context of migration, the intergenerational transmission of values and culture is a special task where adherence to “old” values and practices taken from the country of origin and “new” ones experienced in the country of settlement has to be renegotiated. Whereas research on younger parent-child dyads has studied the actual processes of transmission, studies with regard to later stages in the family life cycle focus more on the interrelations between intergenerational value similarities, relationship quality, support and subjective well-being. In this chapter, general aspects of the research on intergenerational value transmission will be introduced and intergenerational similarities in values between older migrants and their adult children will be presented