Reshaping Tradition? Women Negotiating the Boundaries of Tradition and Modernity in Hong Kong and British Families

Abstract

In debates on social change and personal life, modernity has generally been conceptualized in opposition to tradition, though some have pointed to the persistence of traditional values and practices within modern family relations. In this paper we seek to extend these debates beyond their largely Eurocentric context. Drawing on a comparative qualitative study of women and social change in Britain and Hong Kong, we argue for an understanding of the traditional and the modern that takes account of the ways in which tradition is reshaped in the context of modernity. The accounts of young adult women and their mothers in Hong Kong and Britain reveal varied interpretations of family obligations and practices in relation to normative ideals of family life in each context. We consider how configurations of family life deemed ‘modern’ are inflected by the differing traditions and histories of Hong Kong and British society and argue that these differences are not only cultural, but also attributable to the material conditions under which family relationships are forged and negotiated.

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

“…At the same time, the Eurocentrism of individualisation theories has been questioned (e.g. Jackson et al 2013). Our findings resonate with these critiques, in so far as they highlight the central role which norms, values, and practices of filial piety may play in the context of transnational, Chinese-Western families.…”

“…Smart 2007) and the reshaping of traditional meanings and practices of intimate life in response to changing socioeconomic circumstances (e.g. Jackson et al 2013). At the same time, the Eurocentrism of individualisation theories has been questioned (e.g.…”

Speaking against Silence: Finding a Voice in Hong Kong Chinese Families through the Umbrella Movement

“…We focus particularly on the ways in which Hong Kong Chinese family practices, which still tend to emphasize harmony and hierarchy (Chu and Yu, 2010;Sechiyama, 2013;Jackson and Ho, 2013;Kong et. al., 2016), might be brought into question as a result of political events.…”

“…In Hong Kong's high cost, low welfare society survival depends on the mutual material support family members provide for each other (see Jackson and Ho, 2013 and disagreement by strategizing to display affection and care, and to maintain dialogue, while not abandoning their own political commitments. In most cases there was, therefore, an element of compromise with the hierarchical family structure.…”

The social context of ageing and intergenerational relationships in Chinese families

“…All the papers indicate that it is unwise to think of these processes as either linear or universal. It is clear that in Chinese society, as elsewhere, relationships with intimate others continue to be important in how individuals see themselves and their social obligations (see also Liu 2016b) 2 ; and, rather than assuming a simple move away from traditional precepts, we should think perhaps of the ways in which traditions are reshaped and renegotiated to meet new circumstances and the importance of material constraints for such modifications (Jackson et al 2013). The papers in this special issue all address, in various ways, how members of modern Chinese families are negotiating changes in relationships between generations and the opportunities and constraints that face them.…”