We virtually welcomed Dr Yanan Zhang from the Oxford Institute of Population Ageing to present ‘Health inequalities across older adults cared for by daughters and sons in modernising China’. A recording of the presentation is available to watch below.
About the seminar
China is a traditionally patrilinear society that has been profoundly impacted by Confucian customs. Filial piety is a core virtue and providing eldercare for parents remains an expected responsibility of sons. Despite moves by the Chinese government to include daughters within the legal framework of care obligations, filial obligations remain most strongly with sons. Daughters join their husband’s patriline and take the responsibility of caring for their parents-in-law. However, recent decades have witnessed an improved nexus between married daughters and their natal parents, and the increasing popularity of parents receiving support from their daughters, especially in urban areas. These changes have been triggered by a complex combination of economic, social, and cultural factors which occurred simultaneously following globalization, economic development, and the introduction of Family Planning Policies. Our study investigates and compares the health outcomes of older parents who receive care from daughters and sons, identifying son advantages of providing eldercare. This gendered impact of care can be explained by gender inequalities in socioeconomic statuses which determine children’s financial capacities to support their older parents. The cultural norms (son preference) impact how eldercare is provided, and the acceptance of different care sources also impacts the way the support is appraised.
About the presenter
Yanan joined the Oxford Institute of Population Ageing in November 2020 as a Research Fellow on the DAI@Oxford Programme with a quantitative focus. Her role involves the creation of an evidence base for positive interventions in support of population ageing.
She previously worked as a social care economist for the ESRC funded ‘Sustainable Care: Connecting People and Systems’. She conducts research on the costs of social care in terms of economy, health, and well-being, primarily through the analysis of large-scale longitudinal survey data, often presenting her results internationally, directly contributing to key policy debates.
She obtained her doctorate at the Department of Economics at the University of Birmingham in 2018, under the supervision of Professors Alessandra Guariglia and David Dickinson. Her thesis explored the association between savings and ageing populations, the reallocation of resources in middle and older aged adults, and the consumption, efficiency and utilisation of public health insurance schemes.
Centre for Care Seminar Series
In this seminar series we invite colleagues, partners and experts, whose work aligns with the mission of our Centre, to share their work with us and our audiences, to deepen our understanding of the critical issues in social care in the UK and around the world.
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