Chapter 9 The Chinese Proto Neo-Family Configuration
A Historical Ethnography
In: Chinese Families Upside Down: Intergenerational Dynamics and Neo-Familism in the Early 21st Century
Author:
William Jankowiak
William Jankowiak
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Abstract
This chapter explores five areas representative of the neo-family configuration: a good marriage, the parent-offspring relationship, the relationship with the in-laws, individual expression and achievement, and a residence preference (e.g., patrilocal, matrilocal, neolocal, or multi-generational local). My premise is that prior to the mid-1990s when the work-units were abolished the desire for mutual love as well as changes in parenting behavior were already present in northern Chinese cities. So, too, was the new value of individual happiness—underscored by heightened self-awareness and personal reflection—and changes in the visiting patterns between parents and children.