Intergenerational Coresidence Among Small Farmers in Brazilian Amazônia

This article examines intergenerational coresidence among rural farm families near Santarem, Para, Brazil using survey data collected by the authors on 896 children whose parents live in 175 households on 150 farms. Married adult children, daughters, and the best educated are more likely to live off their parents' rural property (vs. on the property). Results support arguments that coresidence results from the interests of children rather than the control that parents exert over children. These results have implications for our understanding of intergenerational relations in the developing world and for the future development of similar areas. Key Words: Brazil, exchange, intergenerational coresidence, rural families. In late September 2005, we spent the day with a multigenerational family on their farm in rural Para state, in the Brazilian Amazon. The daily activities centered on the house and yard of Joao, Raimunda, and one of their sons (all names are pseudonyms). Three other occupied houses sat at some distance on the property, one occupied by Raimunda's parents, one by her daughter and son-in-law, and one by her son and daughter-inlaw. Over the course of the day, Joao passed time discussing the changing character of the region and the choice of crops, while his sons and son-in-law worked elsewhere on this property or on a separate property (several kilometers down the road) that they had purchased together. Raimunda's daughter, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren came and went, bringing peanuts and fruit to share, passing time while crocheting towel borders for sale at local markets, and sharing a meal (from a chicken raised by the group of women and children on the property). This family has a successful farm with what appears to the casual observer to be an effective division of labor and products. Sitting with the younger generation of women, we could see the benefits but also sense the ambivalence some felt about living so close with family. They were uneasy with the lack of autonomy associated with supervision by parents(-in-law) but unwilling to give up the economic benefits of living on the farm and incur the high costs of establishing the infrastructure for daily life on their own farms (houses, sanitary facilities, wells, fruit trees and gardens, flocks of chickens, etc.). Having chosen a rural lifestyle over education and life in the city, they balanced their desire for autonomy with the value of Raimunda and Joao's support by living at some distance in houses built with the help of the entire family but spending most of the day in joint activities. The younger generation on this farm clearly benefits from coresidence and participation in their parents' economic activities. Joao has a sizeable orchard of mature cacao trees to generate income, as well as a small area ideal for grazing cattle. This sort of property is difficult and expensive to come by now that the frontier is closed in the area. Raimunda's kitchen is spacious, enclosed as opposed to open air but well vented and equipped with modern conveniences (e.g., gas stove rather than charcoal). These are all benefits that would be out of reach of the younger generation for many years were they on their own. Raimunda and Joao benefit as well. Joao is able to retire from hard agricultural labor for the majority of the year and Raimunda has the assistance of daughters and granddaughters in her domestic labor. In addition, they all have the day-to-day intangible benefits of having family on whom to call. This and other field experiences, combined with research in other settings, lead us to consider intergenerational coresidence from the perspective of both parents and children. Whereas some authors argue that intergenerational coresidence results from economic disadvantage in the older generation (McGarry & Schoeni, 2000), research from multiple countries (Hareven, 1994; Kertzer, 1991) and experience in our study area show that it is more appropriately conceived as an exchange of resources and social support that has costs and benefits for both generations. …