Where Did My Children Go?

The Chinese cultural system of filial piety has been extremely strong. The people of China follow the Confucian ideology that highly regards loyalty and complete devotion form children to parents. Children are expected to make sacrifices for their parents, and financial responsibilities are almost considered a given. These expectations were written down, with Confucius and his disciple as the main contributors. These examples of filial piety that had been children’s first textbook in China until the 20^th century basically talk about sacrifice and endless contributions. (Sartor, 2011).

However, in the present day, filial piety hasn’t been performed to its cultural standards, and I suspect that it’s due to the over-pressured single-childs having to support the expanding aging population. Parents in China nowadays have the right to sue their children if they feel neglected or mistreated (Chou, 2011).  Under the Protection of the Rights and Interests of the Elderly that came into effect July 1^st 2013, children can be liable for neglect and can be subject to being sued. Some laws include visiting parents often, be concerned about parents’ spiritual needs, and not ignoring or neglecting them (Hou, 2013). Filial piety can now be purchased. Entrepreneurs actually sell their services to regularly visit your parents. A 2-day service with videos to ensure visit quality costs about $250/day (Xi, 2013). I find it ironic how something that was a cultural value that’s ingrained in the society can turn into a duty that’s regulated by law. Many blame the one-child policy for this, what do you think?

  

Resource:

Zhan, H. (2013). Population Aging and Long-Term Care in China. Generations, 37(1), 53-58.

Hou, Jian Jun (2013). "China Sees First Violation of Filial Piety Law." All-China Women's Federation. Women of China,Web. 26 Sept. 2013.

Xi, Sun (2013). "Shopping for Filial Piety Online." All-China Women's Federation. Women of China,Web. 26 Sept. 2013.

Sartor, V. (2011). Filial Piety and Confucius. Beijing Review, 54(25), 48.

Chou, R. (2011). Filial Piety by Contract? The Emergence, Implementation, and Implications of the “Family Support Agreement” in China. Gerontologist, 51(1). 3-16.