Journal Article

Coresidence With Elderly Parents: A Comparative Study of Southeast China and Taiwan

Xie, Yu, Chu, C. Y. Cyrus, Yu, Ruoh Rong

2011

Overview

Using recent survey data from the Panel Study of Family Dynamics (PSFD) on 1,655 married persons born in 1964-1976 in southeastern China and Taiwan, we studied coresidence with elderly parents using a multinomial probit model for coresidence type and an ordered probit model for residential distance. The study yielded four findings: (a) Patrilocal coresidence was more prevalent in Taiwan than in China; (b) matrilocal coresidence was more prevalent in China; (c) practical factors mattered in both places; (d) in Taiwan only, a couple's economic resources facilitated breaking away from patrilocal coresidence. The findings suggest that, although economic development does not necessarily result in less traditional familial culture, personal economic resources may enable individual couples to deviate from tradition.

• Publisher: Blackwell Publishing Ltd,Wiley Subscription Services,Wiley-Blackwell,Wiley
• Subject: Aged / Children / China / Coefficients / Comparative Analysis / Comparative studies / Confucianism / Coresidence / Couples / Cultural change / Cultural Differences / Cultural Influences / Economic Development / Economic Factors / Economic resources / Education / Elderly parents / family / Family (Sociological Unit) / Family relations / Family Structure / Fathers / Foreign Countries / gender / Husbands / Ideology / Incidence / Independent Living / Intergenerational relations / Living arrangements / Marriage / Matrilocal Residence / Middle and Later Life Families / Mothers / Older Adults / Older people / Parent-child relations / Parents / Parents & parenting / Patrilocal Residence / Peoples Republic of China / Place of Residence / residential distance / Sexuality. Marriage. Family relations / Social Change / Social Organizations / Socioeconomic status / Sociology / Sociology of the family. Age groups / Sons / Surveys / Taiwan / The five bonds / Tradition / Traditions