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Modern Chinese families experience many contradictory situations. “Eating” is a quiet manifestation in the city, and dinners on the big ve day, attended by “four generations living under one roof.” Some young people choose to “run away on vacation,” while others return to their hometowns without hesitation during the rush of spring festival trips. These phenomena spark a debate about family and show that the status of the family as a “basic unit” of society is constantly being challenged. It also illustrates the tenacity and innovation of the family during the tide of the times, drawing pictures of the diverse symbiosis of Chinese families.
Returning to its origins, family changes are closely related to all individuals. They not only reflect social change, but also shape the appearance of the family and the country. Modern Chinese families are undergoing major changes, but some of their underlying principles remain unchanged. You can get a glimpse into the trajectory between “change” and “unchange.”
First, the family structure is divided, but not separated. Between 1990 and 2020, the average number of people in China in households fell from 3.96 to 2.62. The household structure tended to be simplified, with a pattern formed in which core households dominated, with single households and expanded households being supplementary. However, “home” and “family” are different concepts. These scenes reflected more changes in family life patterns and were not entirely equivalent to family changes. Subjective identification of people at family and family boundaries is often different from those in cohabitation. For example, a considerable number of elderly people living alone in urban areas have children living nearby, creating intergenerational arrangements of division.
Second, family functions were reconstructed and redistributed. In traditional agricultural societies, families served as the main unit of both population production and economic production. However, in an industrial society, factories and businesses are largely taking over the productive role of families. Meanwhile, its education and care functions for the elderly are partially socialized, and risk sharing functions are supplemented by the social security system. In modern society, the social support and emotional attribution of families have been partially replaced by diverse “circles” and “dages” or “dating.” Today, individuals form or adapt their family structure based on their personal needs. For example, “double-sided marriage,” which emphasizes both family inheritance and gender equality, demonstrates the adaptability of family functions. This new form of marriage breaks the traditional model where men do not have to pay the bride’s price, and women are not expected to offer dowry. Both sides remain based on their birth family and can maintain close relationships with them after marriage.
Third, family dynamics are constantly evolving. In core families, spouse-parent relationships tend to follow a relatively stable pattern. However, as women’s educational achievement and participation in the workforce increase, traditional male-dominated family structures have undergone major changes. However, women continue to take the primary responsibility for caregiving and childcare, and often face conflicts between personal development and family duties. Meanwhile, parental authority over children has weakened, giving way to increased parental responsibility and economic contributions. This is evident in phenomena such as an intensifying competition in children’s education, such as families pooling multiple generations of resources from so-called “six wallets” to buy a home.
Fourth, the conflict and convergence of family values is notable. As family structures changed, perspectives on marriage, love, childbirth and parenting have undergone a major change. Marriage and childbirth have shifted from social mandates to personal choices. Many young people prioritize personal freedom, but also support the responsibility of elder care and child care. Marriage and family ties continue to be a vital source of happiness. The “matchmaking corner” aimed at navigating family pressure and the “convenience marriage” profile within sexual minority communities highlight the lasting impact of traditional family concepts .
It is not difficult to see the transformation of the Chinese family being marked by the integration of tradition and modernity. This is closely linked to China’s rapid modernization process over the past few decades. Essentially, the diverse practices of Chinese families cannot provide solutions to either tradition or modernity alone, and new possibilities are not cultivated in the interaction of tradition and modernity, and creative transformation of the family and It’s a self-construction.
Compared to the West, the impact of family transformation on China is deeper and rooted in the enduring family and nation traditions in Chinese society. Families are the smallest cells of the country, and the nation has thousands of families gathered together. People project feelings about their families onto the nation, and family ethics are promoted to a way of governing the nation, shaping the political philosophy of the isomorphic construction of the family and the nation. Therefore, families are the microbase of national governance and provide a buffer zone for policy implementation, which is the advantage of the unique governance of Chinese society, while stabilizing basic social structures.
Therefore, the family is an important foundation for national development, progress and harmony. President Xi Jinping pointed out that it is essential to value family building and emphasize the importance of family, family education and family values, regardless of time or changing lifestyle patterns.
As we build a great nation and move towards rejuvenating our people in all respects through modernisation of China, it is essential to pay more attention to the diversity of family development and its unique governance values. We should avoid using a one-size framework to assess family structure and strive to establish a more open and inclusive concept of family. Instead, we should focus on the essence of “family” rather than on its form. It is important to address the challenges faced by families, such as supporting family development, achieving work-life balance, and managing responsibility for caring for the elderly and children. This way we can ensure that older people, young people and women within our families have an opportunity to grow and thrive overall.
We should prevent social class retention, which can be attributed to excessive financial burdens on families. Ensuring equal access to education and employment opportunities, reducing the living burdens faced by low- and middle-income families, and creating pathways for upward mobility of families. It’s important. We should promote contemporary views on marriage, parent-child relationships and families, and develop an environment where intergenerational and gender relationships can thrive together.
The author is a professor at the Fudan Institute on Aging and a researcher at the Common Prosperity and Development Institute at Z Jiang University. Opinion@globaltimes.com.cn
