Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 5, 2026

Experimental Research Examining How People Can Cope with Uncertainty Through Soft Haptic Sensations
Published on: September 16, 2015
How Politico-Economic Systems Shape Individuals' Value of Elderly Care: Evidence From the German Reunification
Freya Diederich1, Hans-Helmut König1, Christian Brettschneider
1Department of Health Economics and Health Services Research, Hamburg Center for Health Economics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany.
Background And Objectives:
Perceptions of how societies should care for the elderly people can differ among countries. This study examines to what extent individuals' value of informal care is shaped by the politico-economic system in which they grew up and if this value adjusts once an individual lives in a different politico-economic system.
Research Design And Methods:
We use data from the German Family Panel and take advantage of the unique setting of the German separation and reunification. Probit models are used to examine the effect of being born in East Germany on individuals' value of informal care relative to employment at different birth cohorts and survey waves (N = 14,093). Average marginal effects are calculated.
Results:
Twenty years after reunification, East Germans who spent their adolescence under communism exhibit a higher value of informal care relative to employment than West Germans who grew up in a western social market economy. Differences in values between East and West Germans do not significantly converge over time.
Discussion And Implications:
Individuals' value of informal care is deeply shaped by the politico-economic system in which they grew up. If immigration policies are introduced to increase the care for elderly people, differences in individuals' cultural perceptions of elderly care should be considered as these will not suddenly adjust.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
The Sense of Self: Reflected Self-Appraisal and Social Comparison
Erikson's Theory on Socioemotional Development during Adulthood
Intimacy Versus Isolation in Early Adulthood
Individuals in early...
Close Relationships and Culture
Impact of Social Context on Individuals
Social Proof
Impact of Individuals on Individuals

