A within-cultural comparison of filial piety beliefs among college students in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau

This study investigated variance in the structure, functions and implications of young adults’ dual filial piety beliefs in Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan using the dual filial piety model (DFPM). A total of 879 Chinese college students participated in the study, including 424 students in Hong Kong, 155 in Macau and 300 in Taiwan. Information on these young adults’ filial piety beliefs and life satisfaction was collected. The results showed that while measures of filial piety beliefs performed well in general in the three regions, there were some regional differences. Young adults in Taiwan and Macau endorsed stronger reciprocal filial piety beliefs than young adults in Hong Kong, whereas young adults in Macau and Taiwan endorsed stronger authoritarian filial piety beliefs than their peers in Taiwan. In Taiwan, both reciprocal and authoritarian filial piety positively contributed to young adults’ life satisfaction. However, only reciprocal filial piety mattered for life satisfaction in Macau, and only authoritarian filial piety in Hong Kong.

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Supplemental Material for Writing Can Heal: Effects of Self-Compassion Writing Among Hong Kong Chinese College Students

Asian American Journal of Psychology ◽

10.1037/aap0000041.supp ◽

2016 ◽

Keyword(s):

College Students ◽

Hong Kong ◽

Hong Kong Chinese ◽

Chinese College Students ◽

Self Compassion

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Attitudes of Chinese College Students Toward Aging and Living Independently in the Context of China’s Modernization: A Qualitative Study

Frontiers in Psychology ◽

10.3389/fpsyg.2021.609736 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Yan Zhang ◽

Junxiu Wang ◽

Yanfei Zu ◽

Qian Hu

Keyword(s):

College Students ◽

Older Adults ◽

Filial Piety ◽

Nuclear Family ◽

Elderly Care ◽

Chinese People ◽

Chinese College Students ◽

The Status ◽

Poor Social Support ◽

Care Problems

Modernization in China is accompanied by some specific features: aging, individualization, the emergence of the nuclear family, and changing filial piety. While young Chinese people are still the main caregivers for older adults, understanding the attitudes of young Chinese people toward aging and living independently in the context of modernization is important because it relates to future elderly care problems in China. By using in-depth interviews and qualitative methods, 45 participants were enrolled in the study, 38 (84.44%) were women and 37 (82.22%) had no siblings. The ages ranged from 17 to 25 years (mean age = 19.28, SD = 1.74). Results revealed that participants held diverse attitudes about older adults, but the general attitudes were that older adults are lonely, financially disadvantaged, have poor social support, lack hobbies, and care about their children more than themselves. Chinese college students were affected both by traditional filial piety and individualism; however, of the two, they seemed put greater value on independence. Moreover, traditional filial piety is changing in a modern direction, affected by Western ideas of individualism: the status of the senior is diminishing, and living with one’s parents is no longer regarded as a necessary component. Implications concerning age stereotypes, elderly care policies, and strategies are discussed.

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