Intergenerational living arrangements and older parents' happiness in China: The role of family social capital.

This study examines how diverse intergenerational living arrangements and family social capital influence the happiness of older parents in China, using data from the 2017 Chinese General Social Survey (N = 1200). It identifies five living arrangement types—stem family (three generations co-residing), truncated-stem family (only adult children), skipped-generation family (only grandchildren), isolated family (no children or grandchildren nearby), and network family (children nearby but not co-residing)—finding that stem families are associated with greater happiness, while truncated-stem families relate to reduced happiness. Family social capital, measured by family interactions and support, mediates these relationships, with older mothers in stem families experiencing stronger positive effects on family interactions than fathers. The study highlights the importance of both physical living environments and social resources in shaping elderly wellbeing and suggests that policies should consider intergenerational living patterns and gender-specific family dynamics to enhance older adults' subjective wellbeing in contemporary China.