mxz0394Filial Piety between China and Western Countries061.docx

mxz0394Filial Piety between China and Western Countries061.docx

《mxz0394Filial Piety between China and Western Countries061.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《mxz0394Filial Piety between China and Western Countries061.docx（13页珍藏版）》请在冰点文库上搜索。

mxz0394FilialPietybetweenChinaandWesternCountries061

FilialPietybetweenChinaandWesternCountries

ABSTRAT

Thisarticleexploreshowagroupoffirst-generationyoung-adultonly-childrennegotiatethefilialselfinthespecificsocio-culturalcontextoftoday’sChinaandwesterncountries.Thearticledrawsuponin-depthinterviewswith22youngadults,bothwomenandmenfromvariousbackgrounds.

KeyWords:

FilialPiety;Relationships;ChineseFamily

1MethodologyandMethods

Thedataforthisarticleistakenfromalargerlife-historyprojectontheidentityconstructionofthefirst-generationofyoung-adultonly-childreninChina.Theparticipantswere22urbanyoung-adultonly-childrenaged21–24yearsatthetimeofmyfieldworkin2004.Theywererecruitedthroughasnowballingmethodstartingwithsomeofmyformerstudentswhobelongtothisgeneration.Theyintroducedmetotheotherparticipantswhoweremostlytheiracquaintances.Asthestudyisexploratoryandshouldremainopentonewgroundsinrelationtogenderandsocio-economicstatus,Iincludedbothmenandwomenfromarangeofbackgroundsandsocialsettings.ThismeansthatinthedataanalysisIwillbepayingattentiontothedifferencesthatmayemergefromthesocialcategoriesoftheinformants.However,asmymainfocusisonhowonly-childstatus,intandemwiththesocialrealitiesoftoday’sChina,mayaffectyoungpeople’sorientationtowardstheirparents,amorein-depthdiscussionoftheeffectsofgenderandsocio-economicstatusonintergenerationalrelationshipisbeyondthescopeofthisarticle.

Theinformantsarefurthercategorizedalongtwomainaxes:

womenandmen;universitystudentsandnon-universityyoungadults,whowereworkingeitherasself-employedstall-keepersorinsomeotherwalksoflifeatthetimeofmyfieldwork.TheuniversitystudentsweremainlyfromHebeiUniversity,acomprehensiveuniversityinmid-China,thelargest,andoftenperceivedasthebestone,inHebeiprovince,whilethenon-universityyouthswerefromChengdeCity,amedium-sizedcityinNorthChina.Abriefnoteabouteachparticipantisprovidedinthetextwhenevernecessary.Forconfidentialreasons,fictionalnamesareused.Atwo–threehourin-depth,open-endedinterview,informedbythelifehistoryapproach,wasconductedindividuallywitheachparticipant.IconductedtheinterviewswiththestudentsfromHebeiUniversityatanearbyhotelroomandinvitedtheotherparticipantstomyapartmentinChengdefortheinterviews.

TheinterviewswereconductedinChineseandtheywererecordedinfull,transcribedandtranslatedintoEnglishforanalysis.

TherearebothadvantagesanddisadvantageswithmebeinganativeChinesedoingresearchonChineseyoungpeople.Ontheonehand,Iwastheprivilegedresearcherwithanintimateknowledgeofthemapofmeanings’intheChinesecontextandproficiencyinthelanguage.Inaddition,myacquaintancewithsomeoftheinformantsandexperienceincommunicatingwithyoungpeople（asIhavebeenauniversityteacherforsomeyears）furtherfacilitatedopenandfriendlycommunicationswiththeparticipants.Ontheotherhand,however,myfamiliaritywiththecultureandcontextmayhaveresultedinatendencytotakethingsforgrantedand/ortoassumethatIknowandunderstandeverythingtheysaid,duetowhichImightoverlooksomeimportantthemes.Therefore,amajorchallengeformeinconductingthisstudyhasbeentoguardagainsttheculturalblindnessofanativeresearcher,whichisanimportantwaytoexerciseresearcherreflexivity.Forthispurpose,Ideemeditcrucialtoperusethenarrativesfromtheparticipant’sperspectivetoensurethatanyanalysis,interpretationandconclusionisbasedontheparticipant’snarrativeratherthanonmyownideas.

Nevertheless,lifehistorystudiesnotonlytelltheparticipantslifestoriesfromthelatter’sperspectives,butalsorepresenttheresearcher’sinterpretationofthosestoriesandtheorizingaboutthoselivesinrelationtobroadercontextualsituationsandissues.Thereis,therefore,atensionbetweenacknowledgingthevoicesoftheparticipantsandprovidingananalyticframeworkforinterpretingthenarratives.Tocopewithsuchatension,Ihaveattemptedtostrikeabalancebetweenlettingthedataspeakforthemselves’（forinstance,byusingdirectquotesfromtheinterviews）andprovidinganinterpretationandtheorizationofthenarrativesinrelationtothebroadercontextofpresent-dayChinesesociety.

Aftertheabovebriefreportofthemethodused,IshallgiveabriefreviewoftheintergenerationalrelationshipswithintheChinesefamilyfromahistoricalpointofviewinordertofurthercontextualizetheyoungpeople’snarratives.

Againstthisbackground,Ishallpresentthemajorthemesthathaveemergedfrommyinformantsnarratives.Thisisfollowedbyconcludingremarks.

2FilialPiety:

IntergenerationalRelationshipsinChineseFamily

TheselfintheConfuciantraditionisfirstandforemostafilialself（Huang,1999）.ForConfucius（551BCE–479BCE）,filialpiety—theculturalnormthathastraditionallygovernedintergenerationalrelationshipsinChinesefamilies—embodiesallthemoralqualitiesofavirtuoushumanbeing,influencingone’sfame（andthatofthefamily）andhencehowfarandwideonecanfareinsociety.Thenotionoffilialpietyrequiresthatallchildrenshouldrespect,obeyandservetheirparents.Itfurtherrequiresasontosupporthisparentsinoldageandguaranteetheirmaterialandspiritualwelfare—forexample,notannoyingtheparents,keepingthemcompanyandnotremainingawayforaprolongedtime,evenathisownexpense.Moreover,filialdutyextendsbeyondtheparents’lifetimeasasonissupposedtooffersacrificestothemaftertheirdeath.Asthecontinuationofthefamilylinewasdeemedofparamountimportance,filialpietyalsoextendstoprovidingtheancestorswithdescendants,namelymaleoffspring,asdaughterswerenotconsideredsuitableforthisfunction.Whatisworthnotingisthatalthoughthenotionoffilialpietydemandsthatallchildrenshouldrespect,obeyandservetheirparents,thesocializationofdaughtershadquiteanotherfocus,primarilyaimedatproducingvirtuouswivesandgoodmothers.

AccordingtoKwang-KuoHuang,thestrongbeliefinfilialpietyintheChinesetraditionalsohastodowiththeConfucianontology,whichassumesthatindividuals’livesarethecontinuationoftheirparents’physicallives,insteadofbeinggivenbyGod（asinChristianity,forinstance）.Therefore,intheConfuciantradition,oneisenjoinedtohaveasenseofindebtednesstotheparentsforthefavorsofgivingonelifeandtorepaythefavourofbeingbroughtup.Inlinewiththisnotion,Confucianthinkersconceptualizedthefamilybyanalogytothehumanbody.Eachroleinthefamilyrepresentsadistinctpartofthehumanbody,andtogethertheyconstituteaninseparableandinterdependententity.Thus,althoughfilialpietyisaddressedmainlytotheyoungergeneration,itdoesnotmeanthateldergenerationsarepurelyexploitersoftheformer.TheidealConfuciansocietyisafunctionalistoneinwhicheveryoneshouldknowtheirplaceandfulfilltheirdutiesaccordingly.Inordertoenjoytheirchildren’srespectandsupportinoldage,theoldergenerationisexpectedtofulfilltheirdutiesasparentsandsetagoodexamplefortheyoungergeneration.Reciprocityandmutualdependencearecorevalueshere.TheemphasisoninterdependenceandreciprocalsupportbetweengenerationstypicaloftheChinesefamilyhasbeenconceptualizedasaformofintergenerationalcontract,withtheoldergenerationtakingoverasmuchofthechildcareanddomesticworkastheyareable,intheexpectationthattheyoungercouplewillcareforthemastheybecomedependent.Suchanotionofthefamilyenjoinsfamilymemberstoputtheinterestsoftheentirefamilybeforetheirown.Childrearingfocusedonteachingobedienceandconveyingthemessagethathappinesscouldcomeonlythroughservingtheinterestsoftheentirefamily’.

ItisimportanttonotethatalthoughfilialresponsibilityhasbeenacorevalueandpowerfulguidingprincipleforintergenerationalconductinChinesesociety,ithasneitherbeenamonolithic,norastaticentity.TheextenttowhichChinesepeoplehaveliveduptothisloftymoralidealhasnecessarilyvariedacrossregionsandsocialgroups.Moreover,likemostculturalnorms,traditionalChinesefamilialvalueshavebeensubjectedtosocialtransformationsduringvarioushistoricalperiods,whichhavebroughtaboutbothchangesandcontinuation.

3.ComparionofChineseandWesternCultureofFilialPiety

TodefinetraditionalfilialpietyinChineseculture,itisimperativethatIdrawonntheworksofConfuciusasConfucianismisthesystemthathasdominatedChinesethoughtthroughoutmostofhistory,controllingChineseeducation,societyandgovernmentforsome2,000years.ItwouldbenecessarytotakeintoaccountMencius'sphilosophyashewasalsoastronginfluenceonChineseculture.

XiaointraditionalChinesesocietiesfundamentallymeansgratitudetoone'sparentsforgivingonelifeandthedutyandobligationtorepayone'sparentsforhavingbroughtoneup.Itmeansloveanduncompromisingrespectforone'sparentsandtotalobediencetoone'sparents.Italsomeanshonouringone'sparentsaftertheirdeath.

However,XiaohasmanyotherconnotationsinthetraditionalChineseculture.Itpertainstoservitudetowardsone'sparentsandthedutytocontinuethefamilylineagebyproducingoffspring.Italsoreferstoancestorworshipandrespectforallwhoaremoreelderlythanoneself,loveforone'soldersiblingsandgoodbehavioursoasnottobringdisgraceandsha