Are Elders from Ancestor-Worshipping Families Better Supported? An Exploratory Study of Post-reform China

Abstract

Practices of intergenerational support are regulated by familial normative imperatives. Ancestor worship has been serving as such a normative force that sustains household eldercare in traditional China. Against the background of the concerted population ageing and reviving ancestor worship practices and beliefs in contemporary China, this study investigates whether or not the positive link between ancestor worship and household eldercare persists in the post-Reform Era. Drawing on data from the 2010 China Family Panel Studies, this study finds that, on average, both practices and beliefs of ancestor worship at the household level have a significant and positive correlation with the likelihood of older family members to be financially supported by family members, but no significant association is detected for the reception of household chore assistance. Moreover, familial ancestor worship beliefs show a stronger association with the reception of monetary support among rural older adults than the urban counterpart. These results suggest that the intergenerational relation in contemporary China still relates to the norms of ancestor worship. As such, this study extends the scholarship on eldercare that mostly focuses on resource transaction and exchange by highlighting the normative aspect of caregiving.