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Of the Family Tree: Congruence on Filial Obligation between Older Parents and Adult Children in Japanese Canadian Families

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 March 2010

Karen M. Kobayashi  and
Laura Funk
Karen M. Kobayashi*
Affiliation:
Department of Sociology and Centre on Aging, University of Victoria
Laura Funk
Affiliation:
Centre on Aging, University of Victoria
*
*Correspondence and requests for offprints should be sent to / La correspondance et les demandes de tirés-à-part doivent être adressées à: Karen M. Kobayashi, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology and Centre on Aging, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC V8W 3P5 (kmkobay@uvic.ca)
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Abstract

Drawing on the intergenerational stake hypothesis (Bengtson and Kuypers, 1971), this article explores intergenerational congruence and incongruence on filial obligation, and implications for social support, between older nisei (second generation) parents and adult sansei (third generation) children in Japanese Canadian families. Using data from semi-structured interviews with 100 parent–child dyads in British Columbia, congruence on close-ended responses to value statements (degree congruence) and the content congruence of open-ended responses are examined. The findings show the majority of parent-child dyads indicate overall (both degree and content) congruence in filial obligation, especially when a parent is female, widowed, and/or has poor/fair health status. We conclude that despite markedly different historical life course experiences and acculturation processes, both generations continue to regard filial obligation as important. These findings are discussed with respect to implications for social support exchanges given a continued valuation of filial obligation in Asian post-immigrant (North American-born) and immigrant families.

Résumé

S’inspirant de l’hypothèse d’enjeu intergénérationelle (Bengtson and Kuypers, 1971), cet’article étudie la congruence et l’in-congruence entre les générations sur l’obligation filiale, et les implications pour l’assistance sociale, entre les parents anciens nisei (la seconde génération) et les enfants adultes de sansei (la troisième génération) dans les familles canadiennes japonaises. À l’aide des données des entretiens semi-structurés avec 100 dyads parent-enfant en la Colombie Britannique, la congruence sur des réponses fermées aux déclarations de valeur (la congruence de degré) et la congruence de contenu des réponses ouvertes sont examinés. Les conclusions montrent que la majorité des dyads parent-enfant indique congruence globale (degré et contenu) en ligne directe d’obligation, surtout lorsqu’un parent est féminin, veuf, ou dont l’état de santé est mauvaise ou passable. Nous concluons que, malgré des expériences sensiblement différentes dans le cours de la vie et des processus d’acculturation différents, les deux générations continuent de considérer l’obligation filiale comme importante. Ces conclusions sont discutées quant aux implications pour les échanges de soutien social, étant donné une évaluation continue de l’obligation filiale en Asie post-immigrant (né en Amérique du Nord) et familles immigrantes.

Keywords

famillerapports intergénérationnelsl’obligation filialecanadien-japonaisfamilyintergenerational relationshipsfilial obligationJapanese Canadian
Type
Articles
Information
Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement , Volume 29 , Issue 1: Special Issue from the Social and Economic Dimensions of an Aging Population Project (SEDAP) – Caring for an Aging Population: Context, Practice & Policy , March 2010 , pp. 85 - 96
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Association on Gerontology 2010

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