Providing Intergenerational Dialogue in Contemporary China: Traditionalism vs Westernisation

Abstract

Today, providing intergenerational dialogue is one of the most relevant ones. On the one hand, it relates to objective reasons — the acceleration of the social development pace and transformation of the communication paradigm has led to the emergence of a “digital divide” between generations, which affects the quality of intergenerational spiritual and intellectual experience transmission. On the other hand, the socio-cultural transformation actively taking place in the West has led to the formation of new values and beliefs, the attitude towards which among representatives of different generations is not the same. The emerging value gap in the absence of emotional and psychological connection between parents and children further exacerbates the problem of intergenerational communication and social cohesion. As a result, parents cease to be an authority, custodian of experience and knowledge for their children, and the resulting vacuum is filled by bloggers, “tiktokers”, and celebrities. In individualistic cultures such as the United States, this problem is vital in analysing intergenerational relationships. In collectivist cultures, despite the preservation of family institutions in a child’s life, the influence of the Internet is doing its job, and young people are gradually joining the new-fangled value of Western liberal standards. And the critical question is to what extent, given the inevitable value transformation, the Chinese society, with its centuries-old traditions, manages to ensure intergenerational dialogue.