Constructions of Love and Obligation to a Parent

Neoliberal constructions of love prioritize romantic connection and emphasize self-expression and mutual exploration as the foundation of love. Although people in their (re)productive prime may find these constructions of love to be liberating, their negative consequences are more evident for people—like elders—whose well-being depend on care from others. We investigated these ideas about conceptions of love and patterns of eldercare in a study of N = 212 both European American (EA) and African American (AA) participants from U.S. settings, Participants responded to items assessing conception of love; filial piety; regulatory focus; knowledge, belief, and perception of eldercare; prioritization of financial support; and additional social and ecological characteristics. Results reveal evidence of neo-liberal understandings of love to be greater among EA participants than among AA participants. Moreover, evidence for an integrative approach to eldercare was more evident among AA participants than EA participants. We discuss implications of results for conceptions of obligation to an elderly parent.