Living arrangements and informal support for the elderly : Alteration to intergenerational relationships in Hong Kong

William Keng Mun LEE

Research output: Journal PublicationsJournal Article (refereed)peer-review

22 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

A network of informal care and support provided by family, friends and neighbors often forms the basis for elderly care. Changes in the structure of Chinese family alter this supportive function, and changes in traditional values affect the nature of the network and support provided. This is especially so in modernized Hong Kong where the traditional role of the family and especially children's duty of care for their aged parents (“filial piety”) may be weakening. This proposition was investigated by a qualitative study involving in-depth interviews with 50 older persons in a modern new town (Tuen Mun) in Hong Kong. Living arrangements, geographical proximity and the quality of relationships between potential caregivers and the elderly affected needs for and provision of informal support. Traditional Confucian filial piety is undergoing modification, perhaps erosion, implying ongoing changes in inter-generational relations in this modernized Asian society.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)27-49
Number of pages23
JournalJournal of Intergenerational Relationships
Volume2
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 8 Jul 2004

Keywords

  • Chinese family
  • Elderly
  • Filial piety
  • Informal support

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