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Elderly Care, Intergenerational Relationships and Social Change in Rural China

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  • © 2019

Overview

Authors:
  1. Fang Cao

    1. La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia

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  • Provides new insights about the effects of China’s rapid socio-economic-political changes on family relations and intergenerational practices in China, through the application of new theoretical approaches

  • Includes a large amount of detailed interview data from more than 70 villagers/migrant workers in Henan Province, China

  • Sheds new light on the challenges of caring for elderly relatives in the context of the rise of migrant work and the absence of adult children from the village

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Table of contents (9 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xix
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  2. Introduction

    • Fang Cao
    Pages 1-30

  3. Setting the Scene: Dougou Village

    • Fang Cao
    Pages 31-58

  4. Cultural Constructions of Filialness

    • Fang Cao
    Pages 59-80

  5. Parental Duties: The Burden of Sons

    • Fang Cao
    Pages 81-92

  6. Migrant Work and Economic Change: Effects on Elderly Care and Intergenerational Practices

    • Fang Cao
    Pages 93-110

  7. The Marginalisation of the Rural Elders

    • Fang Cao
    Pages 111-132

  8. Caring for Ageing Parents in the Migration Era

    • Fang Cao
    Pages 133-152

  9. Explaining Family Changes in Rural China

    • Fang Cao
    Pages 153-175

  10. Summary and Implications

    • Fang Cao
    Pages 177-188

  11. Back Matter

    Pages 189-199
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Keywords

About this book

This book investigates how rapid socio-political-economic change in China since 1949 has affected intergenerational relationships and practices in rural areas, specifically the care provided to elderly parents by their adult children. It focuses on the lived experiences of rural villagers and their perceptions of the impact of these socio-political changes on intergenerational relationships, care of the elderly, family cohesion, and the traditional value of filial piety. It notably considers the importance of filial piety as a dominant family value, the conflict between strong family bonds and growing desires for individuality and autonomy, the prevalence of migrant work among adult children and the diversification of intergenerational practices, alongside the need for national policy and services development for residential and community-based aged care in rural China.



Reviews

“The book is well-structured, which makes it easy for readers to grasp its content. … This book will be of great interest to students and researchers working on intergenerational relationships and elderly care in rural China in the fields of sociology, anthropology, and social gerontology. In addition, it will be an engaging read for a lay audience interested in the lives and cultures of rural China.” (Mengxing Ma, Anthropology & Aging, Vol. 42 (1), 2021)

Authors and Affiliations

  • La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia

    Fang Cao

About the author

Fang Cao currently teaches Chinese at La Trobe University, Australia. She completed her PhD studies in 2017 from La Trobe University and her research focuses on eldercare and local communities in China.

Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: Elderly Care, Intergenerational Relationships and Social Change in Rural China

  • Authors: Fang Cao

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-2962-3

  • Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan Singapore

  • eBook Packages: Social Sciences, Social Sciences (R0)

  • Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2019

  • Hardcover ISBN: 978-981-13-2961-6Published: 12 January 2019

  • eBook ISBN: 978-981-13-2962-3Published: 20 December 2018

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: XIX, 199

  • Number of Illustrations: 21 b/w illustrations

  • Topics: Sociology of Family, Youth and Aging, History of China, Children, Youth and Family Policy

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