Intergenerational solidarity and the changing profile of the Cypriot family. The effects of the financial crisis and the role of the welfare state.

This article presents findings on how the financial crisis that has affected Cyprus for the past 3 years, may change the profile of the Cypriot family and the way the current generation and the previous one are interrelated.... [ view full abstract ]

This article presents findings on how the financial crisis that has affected Cyprus for the past 3 years, may change the profile of the Cypriot family and the way the current generation and the previous one are interrelated. Methodology: The sample of the study was welfare benefits’ recipients, aged 21 to 56, who had been unemployed from 2-5 years old on average. Participants (n=150) were approached during their training in regaining their social skills in order to be able to return to the market and face the difficulties crisis has caused. Results: Findings indicate that due to the strong relationships that still exist among parents and their married children the latter are still coping with the down effects of this unprecedented socio-economic crisis such as long term unemployment and high dependence to welfare benefits. However the future is not looking that bright if we take in consideration that the unemployment rate among young people in Cyprus is over 17%, the cost of life is still high and families dysfunction due to the effects described above. Therefore this study is showing that issues such as housing or land given as dowry, financial support from the parents towards their married children and family instability due to the crisis are affecting the current status of Cypriot family and the Cypriot society too. In particular this study shows how important is the support of the family to their adult children as they are key providers in a variety of welfare domains (Allen,2006;Minas, et.al,2012) such as housing and children care and how this may change in the future due to the fact that the current generation might not be able to support their children to the extent that parents are currently supporting their married children. (Allen, 2006).