Filial Piety, Patrilineality, and China's One-Child Policy

Abstract

This study examined the effects of China's one-child policy on two traditional aspects of Chinese family life: filial piety and patrilineality. Eighty-four graduating university seniors, who were part of the first cohort born under the onechild policy, were interviewed about their life plans. Comparisons between only children and those with siblings showed that only children were as likely to plan on helping their parents as were those with siblings and were more likely to intend to reside in the same city. The only children seemed to feel especially responsible for their parents' happiness because of their singleton status. Among only children and those with siblings, patrilineal norms seemed weak. Students'mentions of family structure to explain their decisions suggest that the one-child policy is undermining patrilineal norms.

Impact of rural-to-urban migration on family and gender values in China

“…The principle of jing embodies the non-material aspects of filial piety: respect for and obedience to the elderly. Jing obliges children to be grateful to their parents for the 'gift of life' and for bringing them up (Deutsch, 2006), and this gratitude in turn provides the moral imperative to observe xiao. It was traditionally considered virtuous for (male) children to honour their parents by making them proud of their achievements (Chan & Tan, 2004;Deutsch, 2006).…”

Making transnational intimacies: intergenerational relationships in Chinese-Western families in Beijing

“…At the same time, it has also generated considerable debate in China about the emergence of a generation of spoiled and individualistic single children (Deutsch 2006;Li 2014). These concerns manifest broader fears, in China and in East Asia at large, that socioeconomic modernisation may result in excessive individualism and the loss of collective solidarities (Croll 2006).…”

“…Chu and Ju (1993) argue that, under the onechild family system, relations among young couples are less stable than parent-child relations, which means that parents have to invest more and expect more too. A series of studies shows that, in urban society, female only children receive more attention from parents than girls who have siblings, and that they receive an equal education with boys, and that they are therefore empowered and have a strong sense of gender equality (Chow and Zhao, 1996;Davis and Sensenbrenner, 2000;Deutsch, 2006;Tsui and Rich, 2002). In Who Wants to Marry My Daughter, Sun Peidong (2012) describes the recent phenomenon of Shanghainese parents who gather at a park to arrange blind dates for their children, using advertising posts and pictures.…”

“…In a survey of secondary school students, Hui and her co-authors (2011) found that filial piety constituted an important element of students' academic motivation. In her study on the effects of the onechild policy on filial piety, Deutsch (2006) finds that contemporary single children tend to feel a particularly strong obligation towards their parents. In their research on care practices in Chinese families, Cong and Silverstein (2011) and Chen et al (2011) describe high levels of intergenerational solidarity among their participants, in terms of emotional support, financial assistance, the participation of grandparents in childcare, and so forth.…”

Coresidence With Elderly Parents in Contemporary China: The Role of Filial Piety, Reciprocity, Socioeconomic Resources, and Parental Needs

“…Traditionally, married sons and their wives have been responsible for taking care of the sons' parents, while married daughters have served their husbands' families (Deutsch, 2006;Li, Feldman, & Jin, 2004). Numerous studies have shown that despite decades of rapid economic development, the patrilocal tradition remains strong in China: Married sons are much more likely to coreside with their parents than are married daughters (Chu et al, 2011;Logan et al, 1998;Logan & Bian, 1999;Xie & Zhu, 2009;Q.F.…”