From bringing up sons to raising daughters for old age: Patrilineal beliefs regarding old-age security in the Chinese mainland

Abstract

China has long held the belief that “raising sons prevents hardships in old age”, which constitutes the financial incentive for the son preference that still prevails in some Asian nations. Using the 2012 China Longitudinal Aging Social Survey, this research examines the current state of the elderly's patrilineal beliefs regarding old-age security and how they are shaped by several transformations within the family. This study yields three significant findings. First, elderly parents who have sons asking for too much help and support tend to believe that “having daughters is best for one's old age”. Second, having more living sons lowers the likelihood of abandoning patrilineal beliefs regarding old-age security, while being sonless raises the likelihood. Finally, daughters’ growing commitment to their parents’ well-being increases the likelihood of non-customary beliefs with regard to old-age security. As a result, this study emphasizes the significance of women's active role in old-age support and low fertility in fostering gender equality and undermining patrilineality.