ABSTRACT

With the accumulation of household wealth in Western countries since the conclusion of World War II, there has been a growing interest in the trans­ mission of financial assets across generations. This is a theme of some importance in stratification research because it taps a central mechanism in the replication of inequality. It is also a topic of interest in the family lit­ erature since the timing and volume of parental transfers are a potential source of strain in the relationship between generations.