Intergenerational Intimacy and Descending Familism in Rural North China

Abstract

Based on evidence drawn from longitudinal fieldwork over three decades, in this study I unpack the complex connections among the development of intergenerational intimacy, the redefinition of filial piety, and the rise of descending familism in a north China village. In the first section, I discuss the structural and functional solidarity in intergenerational relationships by examining changing patterns in household composition. Next I show that villagers have redefined the norms of filial piety by relinquishing unconditional obedience and submission from the junior to the senior generations, thus paving the way to intergenerational intimacy. In the third section, I take a closer look at the practices of intergenerational intimacy, the special role played by married women, and the blurring of the boundaries between intimacy and privacy. Next I offer a brief account of macrolevel social factors that render intergenerational intimacy important in family life and result in the rise of descending familism. I conclude by placing the case study in a comparative context and exploring the implications of intergenerational intimacy and descending familism beyond the village community.