Changing Cultural Values, Filial Piety and Elder Abuse

In Confucian thought, filial piety (Chinese: 孝; pinyin: Xiào) is one of the virtues to be cultivated: a love and respect for one's parents and ancestors.

In somewhat general terms, filial piety means to take care of one's parents; not be rebellious; show love, respect and support; display courtesy; ensure male heirs, uphold fraternity among brothers; wisely advise one's parents; conceal their mistakes (though some schools advocate pointing out and correcting their mistakes); display sorrow for their sickness and death; and carry out sacrifices after their death.

Filial piety is considered the first virtue in Chinese culture, and it is the main concern of a large number of stories. One of the more famous one is The Twenty-four Filial Exemplars (二十四孝). This story depicts how children exercised their filial piety in the past. While China has always had a diversity of religious beliefs, filial piety has been common to almost all of them; for example, Historian Hugh D. R. Baker calls respect for the family the only element common to almost all Chinese believers.[1] These traditions were sometimes enforced by law; during parts of the Han Dynasty, for example, and those who neglected ancestor worship could even be subject to corporal punishment.


SOURCE: wikipaedia

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No Safe Haven
A Review on Elder Abuse in Chinese Families

by ELSIE YAN
The Chinese University of Hong Kong
CATHERINE SO-KUM
The Chinese University of Hong Kong
TANG DANNII YEUNG
The Chinese University of Hong Kong


This review summarizes the literature on aging and elder abuse in contemporary Chinese societies. Carers of elderly Chinese also experience caregiver burden and are frequently caught in a caring dilemma. Furthermore, elderly Chinese often report distressful adjustment in their There is evidence that the younger generation of Chinese is less adherent to traditional Confucian principles of filial piety, and elderly Chinese are no longer guaranteed prestige, power, and care in the family. older age. Available studies indicate that elder abuse in the family does exist in Chinese societies, and various forms of elder abuse as identified by Western countries are also present. Risk factors and negative impacts of Chinese elder abuse resonate with those found in Western countries. In particular, elderly people's increasing dependence on their adult offspring may make them more vulnerable to the latter's abusive behaviors. Research, practical, and policy implications of this review are also discussed.



SOURCE: tvaSagePub

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The erosion of traditional cultural values may explain some instances of elder abuse in countries like Japan, Singapore and India. In any case, modern societies place a different kind of pressures on the younger generation; so much so that it seem unfair to expect them to take good and complete care of their elderly parents without the help of government. This is only my own opinion. I believe more study should be done on this subject.

For some countries in Asia, the social services for elderly can be considered as minimal compared to western countries like USA, UK and Australia. These government relied heavily on the traditional cultural values of "filial piety"; where the younger generation is expected to care for their parents.

It is therefore, not surprising that in recent years, Singapore and India have to enact laws to ensure that adult children continue to look after their parents. What is the alternative? It is an ongoing debate amongst the younger generation in these countries.