Filial Piety, Family Values, and Exchanges between Generations

Melanie Sereny, Duke University

This study tests the association between adult children’s attitudes towards filial piety and aid given to parents on a sample of 887 only children residing in the People’s Republic of China. The theory of intergenerational solidarity (Bengtson and Roberts 1991) informs this work. This paper looks at aid given from adult children to elderly parents. Preliminary regression results find that, at baseline, adult children who agree more strongly with attitudes pertaining to modernity are less likely to provide money, food, medicine, or caregiving days to elderly parents.