Who Receives Parental Help?

Parental help and its importance among young adults in a post-industrial, information society has not received much attention in the Finnish discourse of social policy. However, the intensified insecurity in the labour market in recent decades as well as the diminishing state support following the 1990s recession have compromised the economic independence of young adults. It seems that parents have stepped in and are giving more support to their adult children, especially during the transition phase to adulthood. The aim of this study was to extend the discourse to include parental help and its significance, and also to assess the implications if parents do not give any support to their adult children. In short, the study considers parental help from the perspectives of both the receivers and the givers. The purpose is thus to find answers to the question of who are the receivers of parental help. A further aim is to enhance understanding of intergenerational solidarity by focusing more closely on parental help as one form of intergenerational support.