Early Bloomers in Intergenerational Family Solidarity: an Exploratory Study on the Phenomenon of Young Carers in Spain

Abstract

Inherently, parents take care of their children until they become independent adults; similarly,children care for their progenitors in their old age. However, this socially normalorder may be reversed when progenitors experience a chronic disease while their childrenare still young. This paper analyses the lived experiences of young caregivers (YCs) and how a family member’s illness affects them. The present study employs the intergenerational family solidarity (IFS) theory and draws on qualitative data gathered from in-depth,semi-structured interviews with YCs living in Spain (N = 8). The article reveals that theillness of a family member strengthens IFS and family unity, involves a learning process,causes psychological distress, and creates a need for emotional support. Additionally, thestudy identifies some minor differences based on the gender of YCs. The paper’s main contributionsare twofold. Firstly, it contributes to the international literature on YCs using thetheoretical perspective elaborated by Bengtson and Roberts in 1991, which is commonlyapplied to the relationship between adult children and elderly parents or grandparentsand grandchildren. Secondly, the article provides new empirical considerations for theinvestigation and social recognition of YCs, particularly in Spain, where the family servesas a strong cornerstone of social protection, literature on this phenomenon is scarce, andsocial awareness is limited.