INTEGRATE: International Network of Generational Transfers Research

人口老龄化是一个全球现象。各国政府担心这会带来财政影响。特别是，国家可以通过公共资金转移提供服务和支持的程度。这就进一步引起了人们对从衰落的年轻一代向成长中的老一代转移资金的公平性的关切。围绕税收水平、福利的可获得性和退休年龄，存在着重大的争论。然而，这只解决了问题的一半，并忽略了家庭内部发生的私人转移。私人财富的转移（和实物支助）不仅对年轻一代的生活机会越来越重要，而且对保护老年人也越来越重要。年轻人的机会越来越取决于他们在面临重要生活事件（如教育、组建家庭和拥有住房）时获得的援助水平。此外，由于有限的公共资源捉襟见肘，家庭的支持（再次）成为老年人的一个重要方面，作为一种防止贫穷和增加护理需求的保障。目前的许多研究都集中在这种“代际冲突”上--转移是否发生，以及它们的作用方向是什么：公共关注向上转移（从年轻一代到老一代），还是私人关注向下转移（从父母到子女和孙辈）。但很少有研究考虑这些转移对不平等的复制以及未来社会的福利和福祉的影响。因此，代际和代内转移的问题是国家和国际一级日益关注的一个新领域，但许多研究都集中在单个国家。比较研究正在发展中，但是，由于数据的可获得性、对西方发达国家的关注以及缺乏资金/资源来建立和发展与其他学者的联系，仍然存在限制。各个国家存在制度、政策和文化差异，但是，代际和代内转移的性质和需要是普遍的。这个新的研究人员网络将汇集该领域的专业知识，分享当前的知识，并重要地确定理解方面的关键差距。INTEGRATE网络的具体目标是发展国际研究，保持国际联系，以便继续分享和交流数据、研究和知识。

The ageing of populations is a global phenomenon. National governments are concerned about the financial implications of this. In particular, the extent to which states can provide services and support through public transfers of funds. This raises further concerns about the equity of transfers away from a declining younger generation toward a growing older generation. There are significant debates to be had around the level of taxes, availability of benefits, and age of retirement. This however addresses only half of the issue, and ignores the private transfers that take place within families. The transfer of private wealth (and in-kind support) is increasingly important not only for the life chances of younger generations but also the protection of older ones. Younger people's opportunities are increasingly dependent upon the level of assistance they receive as they face key life events (such as education, starting a family and home ownership). Furthermore, as limited public resources are stretched, support from families has (once again) become an important aspect for older people as an insurance against poverty and increased care needs. Much current works focuses on this 'generational conflict' - whether transfers happen, and which direction they operate: a public focus on upward transfers (from younger to older generations) or a private focus on downward transfers (from parents to children and grandchildren). But little research considers the implications of these transfers for the reproduction of inequalities and the welfare and wellbeing of future societies. The issue of transfers across and within generations is thus an emerging and growing area of concern at national and international level, but much research has concentrated on single countries. Comparative research is developing, however, there are still restrictions due to data availability; a focus on western developed nations; and lack of funds/resources to build and develop connections with other scholars.Institutional, policy and cultural differences exist across individual nations, however, the nature and need for inter- and intra-generational transfers is universal. This new network of researchers will bring together expertise in the field, share current knowledge and importantly identify key gaps in understanding. The INTEGRATE Network will have a specific purpose of developing international research, and maintaining international links for the continued sharing and exchange of data, research and knowledge.