Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-rdxmf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-23T18:05:12.801Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Australian-Chinese families caring for elderly relatives

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 July 2012

LIA BRYANT  and
SUZANE LIM
LIA BRYANT*
Affiliation:
Psychology, Social Work and Social Policy, University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia.
SUZANE LIM
Affiliation:
Psychology, Social Work and Social Policy, University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia.
*
Address for correspondence: Lia Bryant, Psychology, Social Work and Social Policy, University of South Australia, Magill Campus, St. Bernard's Road, Magill, Adelaide 5062, Australia. E-mail: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Caring for elderly relatives has predominately been explored from the standpoint of the needs and experiences of the hegemonic culture in multicultural countries like Australia, Canada and the United States of America. Australia, in particular, has paid scant attention to cultural and linguistically diverse groups in relation to caring for the aged. In this paper we focus on Chinese-Australian families caring for elderly relatives. We explore the traditional value of filial piety which is said to underpin social norms and beliefs about caring for aged parents in Chinese cultures. Specifically we draw on four in-depth interviews with Chinese-Australian care-givers of elderly relatives to identify meanings of filial piety and practices of filial piety. Findings indicate that while filial piety is still an important value in caring for the aged, meanings about how to practise filial piety are changing and vary across families.

Keywords

Australian-Chinese familiescaringfilial pietyageingsocial meanings
Type
Articles
Information
Ageing & Society , Volume 33 , Issue 8 , November 2013 , pp. 1401 - 1421
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2012 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Ahmed, S. 2000. Strange Encounter: Embodied Others in Post-coloniality. Routledge, London.Google Scholar
Ang, I., Brand, J. E., Noble, G. and Sternberg, J. 2006. Connecting diversity: paradoxes of multicultural Australia. Unpublished paper, Humanities and Social Sciences Papers, , Bond University, 1–75.Google Scholar
Anthias, F. 1998. Evaluating ‘diaspora’: beyond ethnicity? Sociology, 32, 3, 557–80.Google Scholar
Berecki, J., Lucke, J., Hockey, R. and Dobson, A. 2007. Changes in Caring Roles and Employment in Mid-life: Findings from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health. University of Queensland, Brisbane.Google Scholar
Berthrong, J. H. 1998. Transformations of the Confucian Way. Westview Press, Boulder, Colorado.Google Scholar
Brah, A. 1996. Cartographies of Diaspora: Contesting Identities. Routledge, London.Google Scholar
Cardona, B., Chalmers, S. and Neilson, B. 2006. Diverse Strategies for Diverse Carers: The Cultural Context of Family Carers in NSW. The NSW Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care, Sydney.Google Scholar
Carers Ministerial Advisory Committee 2005. SA Carers Report. Government of South Australia. Available online at http://www.sapo.org.au/pub/pub1581.html [Accessed 7 July 2010].Google Scholar
Chai, C. and Chai, W. 1965. The Sacred Books of Confucian Classics. Bantam Books, New York.Google Scholar
Chappell, N. L. and Kusch, K. 2007. The gendered nature of filial piety – a study among Chinese Canadians. Journal of Cross Cultural Gerontology, 22, 29–45.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Chesley, N. and Poppie, K. 2009. Assisting parents and in-laws: gender, type of assistance, and couples’ employment. Journal of Marriage and Family, 71, 2, 247–62.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cheung, C. and Kwan, A. Y. 2009. The erosion of filial piety by modernisation in Chinese cities. Ageing & Society, 29, 2, 179–98.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chi, I. and Silverstein, M. 2011. Guest editorial: Intergenerational family support for Chinese older adults. International Journal of Social Welfare, 20, 1, 1–3.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chiu, S. and Yu, S. 2001. An excess of culture: the myth of shared care in the Chinese community in Britain. Ageing & Society, 21, 6, 681–99.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chow, N. 2004. Asian value and aged care. Geriatrics and Gerontology International, 4, 1, S21–5.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Clifford, J. 1994. Diasporas. Cultural Anthropology, 9, 3, 302–38.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Creel, H. G. 1956. What is Taoism? Journal of the American Oriental Society, 76, 3, 139–52.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Department for Families and Communities, South Australia 2006. SA Carers Policy Supporting Carers. Available online at http://www.sa.gov.au/upload/franchise/Community%20Support/Final%20Carers%20Policy.pdf [Accessed 8 July 2010].Google Scholar
Dilworth-Anderson, P., Williams, I. C. and Gibson, B. E. 2002. Issues of race, ethnicity, and culture in caregiving research. The Gerontologist, 42, 2, 237–72.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Donorfio, L. M. and Sheehan, N. W. 2001. Relationship dynamics between aging mothers and caregiving daughters: filial expectations and responsibilities. Journal of Adult Development, 8, 1, 39–49.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fennel, G. and Davidson, K. 2003. The invisible man? Older men in modern society. Ageing International, 28, 4, 315–25.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Giddens, A. 1991. Modernity and Self-identity: Self and Society in the Late Modern Age. Polity Press, Cambridge.Google Scholar
Gill, T., Jury, H., Avery, J., Warmington, R., Stacey, A. and Taylor, A. 2007. The Health and Wellbeing of Adult Family Carers in South Australia: An Epidemiological Analysis 1994–2004. Department of Health, South Australia, Adelaide, Australia.Google Scholar
Gilroy, P. 1993. The Black Atlantic: Modernity and Double Consciousness. HarperCollins Publishers, New York.Google Scholar
Government of South Australia 2009. About Domiciliary Care SA. Available online at http://www.sa.gov.au/subject/seniors/Corporate+and+business+information/Domiciliary+Care+SA/Corporate+information/About+Domiciliary+Care+SA [Accessed 20 October 2010].Google Scholar
Grosz, E. 1994. Volatile Bodies, Toward a Corporeal Feminism. Indiana University Press, Bloomington, Indiana.Google Scholar
Guo, M., Chi, I. and Silverstein, M. 2011. Family as a context: the influence of family composition and family geographic dispersion on inter-generational relationships among Chinese elderly. International Journal of Social Welfare, 20, 1, 18–29.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hall, S. 1993. Culture, community, nation. Cultural Studies, 7, 3, 349–63.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Holroyd, E. 2003. Chinese family obligations toward chronically ill elderly members: comparing caregivers in Beijing and Hong Kong. Qualitative Health Research, 13, 3, 302–18.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hsueh, K., Hu, J. and Clarke-Ekong, S. 2008. Acculturation in filial practises among U.S. Chinese caregivers. Qualitative Health Research, 18, 6, 775–85.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hughes, M., Ozanne, E. and Bigby, C. 2009. Diversity and ageing. Australian Social Work, 62, 2, 127–31.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hugo, G. 2004. Australia's Most Recent Immigrants. Australian Centre for Population Research, Belconnen, Australia.Google Scholar
Ip, D., Liu, C. W. and Chui, W. H. 2007. Veiled entrapment: a study of social isolation of older Chinese migrants in Brisbane, Queensland. Ageing & Society, 27, 5, 719–38.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ishii-Kuntz, M. 1997. Intergenerational relationships among Chinese, Japanese, and Korean Americans. Family Relations, 46, 1, 23–32.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Janevic, M. R. and Connell, C. M. 2001. Racial, ethnic, and cultural differences in the dementia caregiving experience. The Gerontologist, 41, 3, 334–47.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jenkins, A., Rowland, F., Angus, P. and Hales, C. 2003. The Future Supply of Informal Care 2003 to 2013. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Canberra.Google Scholar
Kuo, C. 2010. The relationship of expectation and satisfaction of filial piety with stroke-related outcomes of Chinese older adults in stroke rehabilitation. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Southern California, Los Angeles.Google Scholar
Lai, D. 2007. Cultural predictors of caregiving burden of Chinese-Canadian family caregivers. Canadian Journal on Aging/La Revue canadienne du vieillissement, 26, 1, 133–48.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lai, D. 2010. Filial piety, caregiving appraisal, and caregiving burden. Research on Aging, 20, 10, 1–24.Google Scholar
Lai, D. and Leonenko, W. 2007. Effects of caregiving on employment and economic costs of Chinese family caregivers in Canada. Journal of Family and Economic Issues, 28, 3, 411–27.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lai, D., Tsang, K., Chappell, N., Lai, D. and Chau, S. 2007. Relationships between culture and health status: a multi-site study of the older Chinese in Canada. Canadian Journal on Aging/La Revue canadienne du vieillissement, 26, 3, 171–83.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Laidlaw, K., Wang, D., Coelho, C. and Power, M. 2010. Attitudes to ageing and expectations for filial piety across Chinese and British cultures: a pilot exploratory evaluation. Ageing and Mental Health, 14, 3, 283–92.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lan, P. C. 2002. Subcontracting filial piety: elder care in ethnic Chinese immigrant families in California. Journal of Family Issues, 23, 7, 812–35.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lim, S. 2010. ‘Do you understand what I am going through?’ Experiences of Chinese caregivers in South Australia. Unpublished Honours thesis, University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia.Google Scholar
Liu, W. T. and Kendig, H. 2000. Critical issues of caregiving: East–West dialogue. In Liu, W., Kendig, T. and Kendig, H. (eds), Who Should Care for the Elderly? An East–West Value Divide. Singapore University Press, Singapore, 1–23.Google Scholar
Lo, M. H. 2004. Family care among elderly Chinese immigrants in Australia: a quality of life study. Postgraduate thesis, University of Sydney. Available online at http://ses.library.usyd.edu.au/handle/2123/1998 [Accessed 8 August 2010].Google Scholar
Lo, M. and Russell, C. 2007. Family care: an exploratory study of experience and expectations among older Chinese immigrants in Australia. Contemporary Nurse: A Journal for the Australian Nursing Profession, 25, 1, 31–8.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mackinnon, M. E., Gien, L. and Durst, D. 1996. Chinese elders speak out: implications for caregivers. Clinical Nursing Research, 5, 3, 326–42.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mahoney, D. F., Cloutterbuck, J., Neary, S. and Zhan, L. 2005. African American, Chinese, and Latino family caregivers, impressions of the onset and diagnosis of dementia: cross-cultural similarities and differences. The Gerontologist, 45, 6, 783–92.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mansfield, N. 2000. Subjectivity: Theories of the Self from Freud to Haraway. New York University Press, New York.Google Scholar
McMahon, J., Hardy, J. and Carson, R. 2007. Identifying the Carer Project: Final Report and Recommendations. Private Mental Health Consumer Carer Network (Australia), Marden, Australia.Google Scholar
Mui, A. C. 1995. Caring for frail elderly parents: a comparison of adult sons and daughters. The Gerontologists, 35, 1, 86–93.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Neufeld, A., Harrison, M., Stewart, M., Hughes, K. and Spitzer, D. 2002. Immigrant women: making connections to community resources for support in family caregiving. Qualitative Health Research, 12, 6, 751–68.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ng, A. C. Y., Phillips, D. R. and Lee, W. K. 2002. Persistence and challenges to filial piety and informal support of older persons in a modern Chinese society: a case study in Tuen Mun, Hong Kong. Journal of Aging Studies, 16, 2, 135–53.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Patton, M. Q. 2002. Qualitative Research and Evaluation Methods. Third edition, Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks, California.Google Scholar
Pinquart, M. and Sörensen, S. 2005. Ethnic differences in stressors, resources, and psychological outcomes of family caregiving: a meta-analysis. The Gerontologist, 45, 1, 90–106.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rao, D. V., Warburton, J. and Bartlett, H. 2006. Health and social needs of older Australians from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds: issues and implications. Australasian Journal on Ageing, 25, 4, 174–9.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rosenlee, L. L. 2006. Confucianism and Women: A Philosophical Interpretation. State University of New York Press, Albany, New York.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schwarz, B., Trommsdorff, G., Zheng, G. and Shi, S. 2010. Reciprocity in intergenerational support: a comparison of Chinese and German adult daughters. Journal of Family Issues, 31, 2, 234–56.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Shih, K. Y. and Pyke, K. 2010. Power, resistance, and emotional economies in women's relationships with mothers-in-law in Chinese immigrant families. Journal of Family Issues, 31, 3, 333–57.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sung, K. T. 1997. Filial piety in modern times: timely adaptation and practise patterns. Australasian Journal on Ageing, 7, 1, 88–92.Google Scholar
Sung, K. T. 1998. Expectations of filial piety. Journal of Aging Studies, 12, 369–86.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sung, K. 2000. An Asian perspective on aging East and West: filial piety and changing families. In Bengtson, V. L., Kim, K., Myers, G. C. and Eun, K. (eds), Aging in East and West: Families, States, and the Elderly. Springer Publishing Company, New York, 41–56.Google Scholar
Thomas, T. 2003. Older migrants and their families in Australia. Family Matters, 66, Spring/Summer, 40–45. Available online at http://search.informit.com.au/documentSummary;dn=808638779601002;res=IELHSS [Accessed 19 September 2010].Google Scholar
Tu, W. 2000. Implications of the rise of ‘Confucian’ East Asia. Daedalus, 129, 1, 195–218.Google Scholar
van den Hoonard, D. K. 2007. Aging and masculinity: a topic whose time has come. Journal of Aging Studies, 21, 4, 277–80.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Walker, A. J., Martin, S. S. K. and Jones, L. L. 1992. The benefits and costs of caregiving and care receiving for daughters and mothers. Journal of Gerontology, 47, 3, S130–9.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Warburton, J., Bartlett, H. and Rao, V. 2009. Ageing and cultural diversity: policy and practice issues. Australian Social Work, 62, 2, 168–85.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Weedon, C. 1997. Feminist Practice and Post-structural Theory. Blackwell Publishing, London.Google Scholar
Weedon, C. 1999. Feminism, Theory and the Politics of Difference. Blackwell Publishing, Oxford.Google Scholar
Weston, R., Qu, L. and Soriano, G. 2003. Australia's ageing yet diverse population. Family Matters, 66, 6–13.Google Scholar
Wilhelm, R. 1972. Confucius and Confucianism. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, London.Google Scholar
Williams, K. and Owen, A. 2009. A contribution to research and development in the carer support sector: lessons on effective caring. Family Matters, 82, 38–46.Google Scholar
Yan, Y. 2010. The Chinese path to individualization. The British Journal of Sociology, 61, 3, 489–512.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Zhan, H. J. and Montgomery, R. J. V. 2003. Gender and elder care in China. Gender & Society, 17, 2, 209–29.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zimmer, Z. and Kwong, J. 2003. Family size and support of older adults in urban and rural China: current effects and future implications. Demography, 40, 1, 23–44.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zuo, D., Wu, Z. and Silverstein, L. 2011. Age and intergenerational exchange among older parents in rural China. International Journal of Social Welfare, 20, 1, 30–46.CrossRefGoogle Scholar