Practice Of Filial Piety Research Articles

‘Self-reliance first, children's care-giving second’: older adults' experience and conceptualisation of ageing-in-place in rural China

Abstract Ageing-in-place has become an internationally favoured policy and practice response to population ageing. However, limited literature has sought to understand this concept from Chinese older adults' perspectives, especially in rural China. The purpose of this study is to explore how older adults in rural China conceptualise ageing-in-place. This study took a qualitative approach by carrying out in-depth interviews with snowball-sampled older adults from a rural village in Shandong Province, China (N = 30). Participants conceptualised their ageing-in-place as consisting of two phases: first, when they felt self-reliant, these older adults preferred to live independently in the village; and second, when their capability declined, they would expect care-giving from their children. Autonomy was essential to participants' decision to age in place. The village offered both a physical and social environment in which participants could sustain their self-identity. This decision to age in place independently also related to participants' proactive adaptation to their children's evolving practices of filial piety. Still, had their capabilities declined, they reported they would expect their children's care-giving and move in with their children. Our findings suggest that older adults in rural China conceptualise ageing-in-place as a dynamic process that evolves as they age and experience changes in their needs and capabilities. This perception expands critical notions of ageing-in-place by highlighting rural older adults' flexible conceptualisation of the ‘place’ in which they plan to age. This study sheds light on socioculturally nuanced understandings of ageing-in-place while providing evidence to inform tailored policy and practice development in rural China.

Negotiating filial care in transitions: an ethnographic study of family involvement in China’s nursing homes

Based on ethnographic research conducted in two nursing homes in China, this article examines how institutional eldercare reshapes the expectations and practices of filial piety. It finds that families accept institutional care as a solution to the elderly care deficit. They expect a new division of care between labor and love, assigned to paid care workers and family members, respectively. This ideal of care division is rooted in the “intimate turn” in Chinese family life. Nevertheless, many family members go beyond this care division and remain deeply involved in nursing homes. On the one hand, adult children take on the responsibility to manage surrogate caretakers to improve the quality of care. On the other hand, they continue to provide personal care and companionship. Sharing family time is made the highest priority, especially in the face of impending death. This study goes beyond the binary division between commercial care and family care and sheds light on the transformation of filial piety in the commodification of eldercare in contemporary China.

Exploring the mental models of university students’ attitudes toward older adults in Taiwan

ABSTRACT Taiwan is facing population aging, a decreasing fertility rate, and reduced adherence to the traditional practice of filial piety. Society as a whole has negative stereotypes about older adults, who are regarded as unproductive burdens on their families and society. Older adults experience ageism from others as well as their own as they grow older, they even have low regard for themselves, seeing themselves as weak, sickly, and unable to work. How can we explore the exact attitudes of younger people toward older adults? Doing so is crucial for society to reverse its ageism against the older adult and foster harmonious intergenerational interactions by promoting positive concepts about aging. This study employed interactive qualitative analysis(IQA), which is a rigorous and systematic mixed method of research, to ensure the consistency, coherence, and structural quality of focus group members’ opinions, which were consolidated to identify the components of the problem. Quantitative exploratory power analysis was then performed to produce a mindmap with causal relationships. Then, interviews were also conducted for data validation and interpretation. The key research results were as follows: (1)the four key mental thoughts of university students’ attitudes toward older adults: Traditional Mind-set(TM), Physiological State(PS), Life Attitude(LA), and Social Interaction(SI). (2) the university students’ mindmap to older adults is Traditional Mind-set-orientated and Physiological State-orientated. (3)the five propositions were validated: TM➔FC, TM➔LA, PS➔LA, NM➔LA, and NM➔SI. In future research, we can by defining these five propositions as hypotheses, develop a scale to measure the variable, and conduct quantitative empirical evidence.

Chinese Islam’s understanding of Zhongxiao 忠孝: Jin Tian-zhu’s 金天柱 Qing Zhen Shi Yi 清眞釋疑

ABSTRACT The scholar Jin Tian-zhu (1690 ~ 1765) was a Muslim of the Hui 回 ethnic group in the Qing dynasty who adhered to Islamic traditions handed down from generation to generation. In Qing Zhen Shi Yi, Jin Tian-zhu attempts to combine Confucianism and Islam through a simple comparison of their rituals. Jin Tian-zhu expresses his respect for Allah by attesting Allah’s existence and insisting that humans should obey Allah. He admits that in reality, besides Allah, the ruler is also clearly an object of loyalty. In addition, he asserts that it is basic propriety for Muslims to be filial to their parents and that the scope of practice of filial piety must also apply to their ancestors beyond their parents. Jin Tian-zhu further expands his view of zhongxiao 忠孝 by asserting that the ultimate Muslim interest is in renlun 人倫, which he believes must be rectified.

Social, Community, and Cultural Factors Associated with Parental Stress in Fathers and Mothers.

Parenting stress is a key factor in predicting the quality of parent-child relationships and child development outcomes. Previous research tends to focus on examining individual factors contributing to parental stress, with minimal attention to other important contextual factors that may affect parenting. This study examines the issue from a broader ecological perspective by investigating social, cultural, and community factors associated with parental stress in a community sample of economically active fathers and mothers in Hong Kong. A secondary analysis was conducted using the data from the 2017 Family Survey, a territory-wide household survey conducted in Hong Kong. The data of the current study included a sub-sample of 736 working-class parents (48.4% males and 51.6% females). The mean age of fathers and mothers was 50.99 (SD = 11.2) and 48.68 (SD = 10.34) years, respectively. Mothers reported significantly higher levels of parental stress than fathers, t = -4.241, p < 0.001. Different social, cultural, and community factors were associated with parental stress for fathers and mothers. Strong endorsement of traditional family values (B = -0.23, p = 0.032) and frequent practice of filial piety (B = -0.005, p = 0.019) reduced parental stress in fathers. Additionally, fathers who perceived formal support as effective scored higher levels of parental stress, B = 0.20, p < 0.001. For mothers, informal social support from family members was the only social predictor for reduced parental stress (B = -0.14, p < 0.001) among all the other contextual variables. Community support to reduce parental stress in working parents should address the respective risk factors for fathers and mothers.

간병기록 “나는 매일 엄마와 밥을 먹는다”에 나타난 가정 간병의 실상과 가치

Analyzing the text of “I eat with my mother every day”, the autobiographical records of an elderly man in his 60’s who took care of his mother in her 90’s with dementia for nine years in an apartment space, this researcher considers the beginning and difficulties of home care, psychological conflicts experienced in the process of caring, and the moments of mental maturity that occurred every now and then in the dragging time. In the first chapter of the main body, this study has found why the writer began home care and the fact that home care is such a difficult process that can be even said to a state of humanity way beyond the path of filial piety. In the next chapter, this study examines the processes in which respect for the mother disappears and only hatred remains within the conflict with her that has become a routine and the author’s cry coming from the inside. In the last chapter, this researcher looks into the process in which the author’s ego continues to mature within conflicts between the practice of filial piety and realistic problems. This study will serve as a reference for individuals in situations where they have to take care of their families.

Family caring for the elderly during the pandemic in Hong Kong: perspective from Confucian familism

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to argue for the values of familial caring and relationships in addition to the provision of social media technology during the COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong.Design/methodology/approachThe discussion of this paper has adopted an inter-disciplinary approach by integrating health care system and psychological analysis, based on cultural philosophical argument through the hermeneutic approach of classical texts and critical analysis.FindingsThe COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the dilemma between the public health measures for COVID-19 and sustaining elderly social psychological health through familial connection. From a Confucian perspective, the practice of filial piety (xiao, 孝), which demands taking care of parents, is essential for one’s moral formation, and for one’s becoming a virtuous (ren, 仁) person. The necessity of taking care of elderly parents by adult children is not something that can be explained in terms of consequentialism. Indeed, the rising trend of instrumental rationality seems to weaken rather than strengthen the sense of filial obligation. In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic which tends to separate connections between family members, the author argues that we should emphasize the values of familial caring and relationship because it enhances the elderly’s characteristic of resilience.Originality/valueThis paper shows that while social media technology has mitigated the negative effect of social distancing, such online relationships should never replace the bodily connections between the elderly and their family members from a Confucian perspective.

What Makes Chinese Adult Children Behave Differently during Parents' End of Life: A Discriminant Analysis of Macao Chinese.

The daily practice of filial piety (FP) is well prescribed under the traditional filial norms in the Chinese community. However, exploration of FP practices at the end of parents’ lives is limited. The current study explored the FP representation and good death preferences of Macao Chinese. A cross-sectional web-based survey was conducted and discriminant analysis was used to identify possible predictors of FP representation in the context of parents’ end of life. Results showed that Macao Chinese were inclined to perform most of the filial duties in the last journey of their parents. Among 705 participants, 150 (21.3%) tended to practice authoritarian FP, and 555 (78.7%) tended to practice reciprocal FP. Age, education, religion, and good death preferences were identified as predictors of different FP representation groups. The findings could help clinicians to obtain a preliminary perception of FP representation of Chinese patients and to determine the appropriate approach for end-of-life care from a family perspective.

고려시대 가족의 소망과 좌절

In the Goryeo Dynasty, the wishes of the family were held by individuals, but this is for the family. The wishes of the family were similar in the times, but there was a difference in the way they fulfilled their wishes. Individuals have their own identity through the family, and the unity within the family is important. The family’s influence was very social, especially in the upper class. The wishes of the family are deeply related to the desires of the individual. The individual’s desires are longevity, social wealth, comfort, dying from wheezing, and liking virtue. To live a long and healthy life was an important wish not only for individuals but also for families. For this, they relied on religion or faith. There was an idea of inheriting the family’s job. With the formation of aristocratic society, the idea of inheriting a job spread socially. Marriage with the royal family is a way to raise the status of the family. However, it was difficult for the family’s wishes to always come true. This was frustrated by the death of a family member. The death of the family brought mental pressure and great frustration. In particular, the sudden death shocked my family. However, in society, the death of a person with poor reputation was regarded as a punishment. The war caused the family to be scattered. During the war with Mongolia, many Goryeo people suffered prisoners of war or murder. When family wishes are frustrated, they betray their expectations for members. Eventually, if he was involved in treason, his family could not be maintained. The way to overcome family discord is to build a sense of bond. This was accomplished through the practice of filial piety. There was a way to gather families, have a feast, and meet each other to increase a sense of bond. After all, the simple wishes of the Goryeo Dynasty were not social success or economic wealth, but rather the growth of children, respect for the adults in the family, and the practice of love. This was a simple wish that most families, except for the upper class, could dream of it.

Downward transfer of support and care: understanding the cultural lag in rural China

AbstractThe Chinese culture of filial piety has historically emphasised children's responsibility for their ageing parents. Little is understood regarding the inverse: parents’ responsibility and care for their adult children. This paper uses interviews with 50 families living in rural China's Anhui Province to understand intergenerational support in rural China. Findings indicate that parents in rural China take on large financial burdens in order to sustain patrilineal traditions by providing housing and child care for their adult sons. These expectations lead some rural elders to become migrant workers in order to support their adult sons while others provide live-in grandchild-care, moving into their children's urban homes or bringing grandchildren into their own homes. As the oldest rural generations begin to require ageing care of their own, migrant children are unable to provide the sustained care and support expected within the cultural tradition of xiao. This paper adds to the small body of literature that examines the downward transfer of support from parents to their adult children in rural China. The authors argue that there is an emerging cultural rupture in the practice of filial piety – while the older generation is fulfilling their obligations of upbringing and paying for adult children's housing and child care; these adult children are not necessarily available or committed to the return of care for their ageing parents. The authors reveal cultural and structural lags that leave millions of rural ageing adults vulnerable in the process of urbanisation in rural China.

The impacts of Chinese cultural adherence to filial piety on the dementia care decision processes in East Asian communities

AbstractObjectivesDeveloping knowledge of Chinese cultural adherence to filial piety helps understand Dementia in the Asian Pacific Regions regarding its dementia care practices and medical system cluster around filial piety.BackgroundChinese filial piety has been deeply rooted in East Asian culture for over five thousand years, affecting life choices, including medical treatments decisions and end‐of‐life care decisions for family members. Regardless of their level of westernization, Chinese filial piety continues to play a key role in determining timely diagnosis, and institutionalization of a person with dementia. As characterized by collectivism, filial piety also explicitly directs informal caregivers' careers paths, mental health, and physical health, especially for females. Consequently, dementia care practices and medical system in East Asian communities cluster around the level of practice of filial piety, which directly affects dementia care decision making processes as well as the welfare of a person with dementia and costs to society.MethodsA systematic literature review for the previous decade on filial piety will be employed. Implications: Through developing knowledge of underlying cultural adherence to dementia care practices in East Asian communities, government, social policies, and professionals across the fields as a whole can develop a better supportive environment for persons with dementia and their caregivers.

‘I try my best … I try to relieve the burden of my mum’: a narrative analysis of the everyday care-giving experiences for five intergenerational Singapore-Chinese families where one member has dementia

AbstractSingapore is experiencing a rapid growth in its ageing population with most of the islands’ inhabitants living in high-rise apartments due to the scarcity of land. The Chinese community living in Singapore comprises the largest ethnic group and they are more likely to live together under one roof in an intergenerational family grouping. Currently, there are gaps in understanding intergenerational Singapore-Chinese families and their approach to caring at home for a family member with dementia. The aim of this longitudinal qualitative study was to understand better this everyday care-giving experience. Using semi-structured biographical interviews and digital photographs to elicit family stories, five intergenerational Singapore-Chinese families were visited at home for a period of between six and 15 months. Each recruited intergenerational family was treated as a ‘case’. Narrative analysis of the data was applied within and between cases and resulted in the emergence of three themes that represented various dynamics in the data. The three themes were identified as: (1) family values, which is about the cultural context in which everyday care takes place, the religious beliefs and practices of the intergenerational Singapore-Chinese families, and the practice of filial piety; (2) family support, which is about everyday access to family and service networks, including the contribution of the live-in maid in caring for the family member with dementia; and (3) family bonds, which is about the maintenance of intergenerational family relations in the Chinese family kinship system.

The Concept of Filial Piety in East Asian Confucian Culture from the Perspectives of Gadamer and Habermas

This paper examines the role of filial piety in East Asian Confucian societies as a means of drawing out political implications by showing two different standpoints elaborated by Gadamer and Habermas. The two thinkers seem to display different outlooks on the notion of filial piety in the East Asian Confucian culture: Whereas Gadamer appears to approve the practice of filial piety as keeping tradition in the specific societies, i.e., Confucian East Asian culture, Habermas rejects it by refusing the concept of tradition. The debate primarily originates from two different—though both “Western”—philosophical traditions. Gadamer endorses tradition since all human beings are conditioned by the effects of cultural heritage, and events can never be disinterested. All previous contexts of human culture enter into the greater tradition that is transmitted to us through the generations as an inexhaustible stock of moral instruction. On the other hand, in his critique of Gadamer’s appropriation of tradition, Habermas argues that human beings can overcome the dogmatic force of tradition. In Habermas’s account, it is of significant importance to use reason—or critical reflection—in order to overcome such dogmatic force. In short, this paper appropriates Habermas’s charge that Gadamer hypostatizes tradition. In other words, Gadamer’s philosophical hermeneutics embeds understanding in tradition because all understanding is necessarily prejudiced. Habermas rejects Gadamer’s idea of tradition on the ground that it is absolutizing.

Family Therapy focusing on Filial Piety among Korean Husbands in Light of Family Systems Theories

My principal concern in this study necessitates a critical review of the practice of filial piety of Korean adult children, especially in the case of the eldest son, in the light of family systems theories such as those of Ivan Boszormenyi-Nagy’s contextual family therapy, Murray Bowen’s intergenerational family systems theory, and the MRI group’s communication/interaction approach. Bowen's perspective of family assessment relates to the degree of differentiation of self and detriangulation from the intergenerational approach. From similar perspective to that of Bowen, Boszormenyi-Nagy's contextual approach emphasizes trustworthiness among family members. From the communication approach of the MRI group, the basic value is that the family should function through clear and direct communication. The issue of Korean filial piety is closely connected to the intergenerational approaches. Especially, practicing filial piety of the eldest son can be appropriately explained, in terms of the concept of the nuclear family emotional system, triangulation, family projection process, and sibling position in Bowen's theory. Boszormenyi-Nagy's concept of invisible loyalty can also be useful to explain the notion of the Korean filial piety of the eldest son. However, even if those theories and therapeutic models, despite their contributions and limitations, can be applied to the issue of Korean filial piety in the couple in question, the cultural sensitivity should be still heeded, particularly for non-Korean, or non-Asian therapists. Therefore, a careful consideration of the models or theories used in the application of family problems is important for family therapists, psychologists and even pastoral counselors.

조선시대 절사(節祀)에 관한 연구

This study aims to examine the cultural characteristics of holiday ancestral memorial rites held by the public during the Joseon Dynasty. Methods will include a literature review that focuses on the fact that holiday ancestral memorial rites, which have continued as a part of Korean living culture, are a combination of a ritual and a seasonal event. For this purpose, eight ritual books written from the 16th to 18th century and seven books of seasonal events written from the 18th to 19th century were reviewed. The main results of this study are as follows: First, Lunar New Year’s Day, which is the first day of the first lunar month of a year and the beginning of a new year; Dongji (winter solstice), which is the day of closing a year; and Chuseok, which is the 15th lunar day of August, were of great importance as rites linking people to their ancestors. Through this, this study was able to affirm the meaning of Chamrye (參禮) as an origin of Charye (茶禮: memorial rite for ancestors). It was a ritual of affection where people visited their ancestors at a shrine and offered them tea early in the morning of holidays. Second, Myoje (墓祭: memorial rite held in front of the grave) was a unique custom, which was a practice of filial piety continued even after the death of one’s ancestors.
 However, scholars in the Joseon Dynasty actually regarded it unfilial that sacrificial food loses its original sanctity after being frozen or going bad due to cold or hot weather on holidays, such as Lunar New Year’s Day or Dano, or that descendants suffer poor health caused by their long trip to grave sites. This shows that Joseon scholars acknowledged the necessity of Myoje, yet demonstrated their flexibility in ritual practices depending on circumstances. Third, Sishik (時食: special seasonal food prepared for holiday memorial rites) of Sokjjeol (俗節: ancestor-memorial days) was an expression of affection towards one’s ancestors. People tried to exhibit sincerity
 through seasonal food which is special, yet simple, and prepared within their budget. In addition, Sishik, food cooked with good medicinal and nutritional ingredients, was the representation of a wish for the good health of not only one’s ancestors, but also descendants, neighbors, and visitors. In conclusion, holiday ancestral memorial rites held by the public during the Joseon Dynasty were a friendly and simple ritual culture linking descendants to their ancestors, and at the same time, seasonal event culture where filial piety and affection were expressed through special seasonal food filled with sincerity. This finding regarding the meaning of holiday ancestral memorial rites can be used for
 future academic research on rituals and seasonal events and the development of cultural contents. It also can be utilized in education to highlight the importance of the psychological value inherent in Korean living culture.

Perspectives of Singaporean patients and caregivers towards quality of life or quantity of life with disease-modifying treatment in the end-of-life setting

Background: Healthcare providers often struggle to balance the sometimes competing considerations of maximizing quality of life (QoL) and quantity of life with disease-modifying treatment (DMT). These decisions require in-depth dialog between all parties in order to understand the concerns and perspectives of the patient and caregiver in this period. Objectives: The objectives of this study were to explore Singaporean patients’ and caregivers’ attitudes towards QoL and DMT, and to examine the reasons behind their beliefs. Methods: Participants were given a video vignette of a family discussing how best to care for their mother who is recently diagnosed with cancer and were interviewed regarding their thoughts on QoL and DMT for a 70-year-old patient with stage IV metastatic cancer. Subjects/Setting: A total of 21 patients and caregivers were recruited from a tertiary oncology centre. Results: Both patients and caregivers show little support for pursuing QoL, despite the likely compromise to the patients’ QoL. These participants believed that not pursuing DMT was tantamount to giving up and accepting death. Whilst patients did accept that in some circumstances a QoL approach would be acceptable, caregivers remained adamant upon a DMT approach. The perspectives of caregivers reflected the influence of the Confucian-inspired practice of filial piety. Conclusion: Local sociocultural beliefs and values continue to play a significant consideration in end-of-life decision-making. However, compliance with these beliefs have evolved, with greater consideration given to clinical and QoL factors.

Practising and displaying xiao—young mothers’ negotiations of obligations to elders

This article explores young Chinese women’s attitudes to and practices of filial piety in northern China. It applies the concept of ‘family practices’ and ‘displaying family’ to the Chinese context through the link between xiao and mianzi. Drawing upon in-depth interviews with 34 young mothers, I analyse their narratives to explain how and why filial obligations to their ageing parents matter to them. I first outline how filial obligation is practised through a wide range of activities, before arguing that being filial is not enough: displaying xiao is critical to their own and the elders’ face and establishing themselves as good, filial daughters and daughters-in-law. By bringing western and Chinese concepts into dialogue with each other, this study contributes to evaluating the continued changes in Chinese families.

Measuring Filial Piety in the 21st Century

The experience and practice of filial piety have evolved in modern Chinese societies, and existing measures fail to capture these important changes. Based on a conceptual analysis on current literature, 42 items were initially compiled to form a Contemporary Filial Piety Scale (CFPS), and 1,080 individuals from a representative sample in Hong Kong were surveyed. Principal component analysis generated a 16-item three-factor model: Pragmatic Obligations (Factor 1; 10 items), Compassionate Reverence (Factor 2; 4 items), and Family Continuity (Factor 3; 2 items). Confirmatory factor analysis revealed strong factor loadings for Factors 1 and 2, while removing Factor 3 and conceptually duplicated items increased total variance explained from 58.02% to 60.09% and internal consistency from .84 to .88. A final 10-item two-factor structure model was adopted with a goodness of fit of 0.95. The CFPS-10 is a data-driven, simple, and efficient instrument with strong psychometric properties for assessing contemporary filial piety.

THE TEACHING AND PRACTICE OF FILIAL PIETY IN BUDDHISM

AbstractBuddhist scholars like Kenneth Ch'en have argued that the teaching of filial piety was a special feature of Chinese Buddhism as a response to the Chinese culture. Others, among them John Strong and Gregory Schopen, have shown that filial piety was also important in Indian Buddhism, but Strong does not consider it integral to the belief system and Schopen did not find evidence of it in early writings he examined. In this article, through an analysis of early Buddhist resources, the Nikāyas and Āgamas, I demonstrate that the practice of filial piety has been the chief good karma in the Buddhist moral teaching since its inception, although it is not as foundational for Buddhist ethics as it is for Confucian ethics. The Buddha advised people to honor parents as the Brahmā, the supreme god and the creator of human beings in Hinduism, as parents have done much for their children. Hence, Buddhism teaches its followers to pay their debts to parents by supporting and respecting them, actions that are considered the first of all meritorious deeds, or good karma, in Buddhist moral teachings. Moreover, according to the Buddhist teaching of karma, matricide and patricide are considered two of the five gravest bad deeds, and the consequence is immediate rebirth in hell. Mahāyāna Buddhism developed the idea of filial piety further and formulated the four debts to four groups of people—parents, sentient beings, rulers, and Buddhism—a teaching that became very popular in Chinese Buddhism and spread to other East Asian countries.

Legislating for Filial Piety: An Indirect Approach to Promoting Family Support and Responsibility for Older People in Korea

Although every culture follows its own indigenous elder care practices, Korea has retained a unique way of supporting elder parents, specifically, and older people in general. When the care of older people in Korea became significantly challenging, it was determined to launch a controversial law to promote the tradition of filial piety. The main content of the law consists of requiring the government to take action to encourage filial piety and to support those adult children who care for their parents. Although this legislation has the potential to promote the practice of filial piety, the nature of the law is largely rhetorical and symbolic rather than practical, and as a result, its workability and efficiency are limited.