Abstract
The current study conducts a series of data analyses of the China General Social Survey (CGSS) 2008, the latest national survey of urban and rural households investigating the social structure and quality of life in China. Overall, Chinese people express a remarkable level of filial piety. The present study reveals the association between the values of filial piety and the moral actions. However, filial piety is significantly correlated with only one practice, namely, providing emotional support. It does not have a significant link with providing financial assistance and practical assistance. Generally, the results support a culture-specific evaluation of an imbalance with respect to actual support exchange. We find a larger amount of social support offered by Chinese younger generations to the elderly. The findings also evidence a positive correlation between life satisfaction and filial piety. Implications, limitations and directions for future research are discussed.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Data analyzed in this article were collected by the research project ‘China General Social Survey (CGSS)’ sponsored by the China Social Science Foundation. This research project was carried out by Department of Sociology, Renmin University of China & Social Science Division, Hong Kong Science and Technology University, and directed by Dr. Lulu Li & Dr. Yanjie Bian. The author appreciates the assistance in providing data by the institutes and individuals aforementioned. The views expressed herein are the author's own.