Family income and attitudes toward older people in China: comparison of two age cohorts

Abstract

Three hundred and five traditional college students and 159 baby boomers (40-55 years old) in China participated in the study with Kogan's Attitude toward Old People [Kogan (1961) Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 62(1), 44-54] being used. Results from ANOVA showed overall, baby boomers held more positive attitudes toward older people than college students. There was a significant interaction effect between cohorts and family income; that is, the lower family income group in both samples did not differ significantly from each other, it was in the higher family income group that difference was revealed. Baby Boomers in the higher family income group held more positive attitudes toward older people than students in the same family income group. Gender was not a significant factor in either sample. Stepwise regression analyses revealed that family income was a significant predictor of attitude in the Baby Boomer sample, but not in the college student sample.

A Comparative Study of College Students’ Cultural Orientation, Aging Attitude, and Anxiety: Japan, China, and USA

“…Earlier research on college students' attitudes towards aging and the elderly in China showed fairly positive or neutral results (Tan, Zhang, and Fan 2004). However, with the rapid westernization and modernization taking place, recent research also found increasingly less positive attitudes toward aging and the elderly among young people (Xie, Xia, Liu 2007;Zhou 2007), leading one researcher to speculate that perhaps "modernization has chipped away elder respect in China" (Zhou 2007, 826).…”

“…Research shows that in American society older individuals have a somewhat devalued status because the culture values youth in general where aging and the elderly are diminished and youthfulness is exulted and admired (Harris and Dollinger 2001;Musaiger and D'Souza 2009;Van Langenhove and Harré 1994). In East Asian tradition, however, the Confucian core value of filial piety (respect and care for the elders) is reflected in many aspects of the society such as philosophy, literature, arts, family structure, and relationships, and heavily influences people's attitudes toward the elderly that old age and experiences are highly valued and respected (Tan, Zhang, and Fan 2004;Xie, Xia and Liu 2007). So theoretically, it is reasonable to expect the East Asians like the Japanese and Chinese would hold more positive attitudes toward aging and the elderly than the Americans.…”

Estereotipos sociales como amenaza a la inserción de adultos mayores. Revisión narrativa.

“…Sin embargo, a diferencia de los países occidentales, se están tomando medidas al respecto, para continuar con la tradición profundamente arraigada en el respeto por los AM. El gobierno chino está llevando a cabo ocho planes de desarrollo a nivel estatal y de la comunidad, para contrarrestar la reducción del estatus social de las personas mayores, como resultado de la modernización, y para inculcar en el público en general, una actitud positiva hacia ellos 18 .…”

Prejudices and elderly patients’ personality – the problem of quality of care and quality of life in geriatric medicine

“…Demographic forecasts estimate that 20% of the U.S. population will be over age 65 by 2030; in Canada, this level is to be attained in 2024 [2]. In China, where there are currently about 120 million people over 60 years old, the number will double by 2030 [3]. …”

“…This demonstrates that the ageing process poses new challenges, not only for the old themselves, but also for their families, doctors, therapists, and the whole health care system [4,5]. The decrease in informal care by family members is becoming more common [3,6,7] and the percentage of elderly who live alone is also increasing. All in all geriatric complex healthcare services become a dynamically growing demand [4,7,8].…”