Intergenerational Solidarity and Family Functioning Within Korean Families in the Post-Pandemic Transition

Abstract

Although intergenerational solidarity and circumplex models are widely used in family science, the articulation between these two theoretical models is less explored, particularly over time and in response to exogenous shocks such as a pandemic. Therefore, we aimed to identify dyadic latent classes of intergenerational solidarity between parents and adult children following the COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea, and whether the derived classes and their transition patterns were associated with healthy family functioning. Using 2022 (during the pandemic), 2023 (immediate post-pandemic), and 2024 (fully post-pandemic) survey data, we conducted latent class and latent transition analysis with 258 Korean parent–adult child pairs. Multivariate regression was conducted to examine the relationship between transition patterns of solidarity classes and family functioning. Latent class analysis identified the same three latent classes in 2022, 2023, and 2024: tight-knit, distant-but-digitally connected, and ambivalent. Latent transition analysis revealed that the majority of parent and adult child pairs maintained the same solidarity class across the three time points. In multivariate regression analysis, we found that parents and adult children who stayed in the tight-knit solidarity class across the three time points reported healthier post-pandemic family functioning than those who stayed in the ambivalent solidarity class. Our findings suggest that maintaining strong solidarity between parents and adult children is beneficial for healthy family functioning in the aftermath of a global pandemic. Applying both intergenerational solidarity and the circumplex model together can support the identification of problematic family dynamics.