Family first? Explaining the strength of family obligations across countries

The strength of intra- and intergenerational family obligations combined has so far received limited attention in comparative research. A series of vignette-based questions on family obligations in the ISSP 2022 Family and Changing Gender Roles V module is the first to enable a comparison of norms in family obligations across countries. Using data from 32 countries, we seek to explain levels of normative family solidarity. We explore relationships between age, gender, education, conservative family values, religiosity, reliance on friends, and the perceived family obligations. Descriptive results reveal rather large differences between countries with correlated levels of intra- and intergenerational family obligations. Our hierarchical models reveal that family obligations are generally higher among men and people who include non-nuclear family members in their definition of close relatives. On the other hand, relying more on friends is connected to lower levels of perceived family obligations. Also, in line with previous research, a positive link between practicing religion and family obligations can be observed in most countries, while the link between family obligations and religiosity is stronger in more gender-equal countries. Among the country-level variables, more gender-equal countries and more affluent societies have lower levels of family obligations.