The Change Of Feedback Model: Study On Intergenerational Relationship In The Urban Area From The Perspective Of Generational Gap

Taking Intergenerational relationship in Chinese urban families as the object of study, the dissertation studies the changing trend of the traditional feedback model in the Chinese society, so as to reflect the characteristic modernization of Chinese families. It assumes that in the contemporary Chinese urban families, parents'obligations towards their grown-up children have been enlarged elastically within the family scope, while children's return obligations towards their parents have been reduced elastically. Thus, based on the assumption, this paper argues that the traditional feedback model of Intergenerational relationship in Chinese urban families has been changed into a new pattern integrating modern life with traditional values, rather than being replaced by the western relay model entirely. The above change will make profound influence on the practice of rights and obligations between parents and children so as to contribute to the characteristic modernization of Chinese families as well.Applying the research approach of cultural change and implementing cultural functionalism as the main theory, the paper conducted in-depth interviews and questionnaire. From the perspective of local culture, the paper attempts to on the characteristics of the modernization of Chinese family, especially focusing on the issues such as private field, the development of individual consciousness, the relationship between individual and his family, and the corresponding practice of rights and obligations on material and physical ways between generations. All the above issues are connected by values, the kernel variable. That means by learning the intergenerational gap of values, the paper analyzes its effect on the practice of rights and obligations between parents and children, so as to find out how culture is used to meet the demands of life or how culture functions, how family ecology makes influences on the structure of cultural function, the ultimate family pattern and the Intergenerational relationship determined by the structure of cultural function. Here, the tension between family-oriented and individual-oriented will be the most important theoretic issue, and the paper will take it as a frame to illustrate all kinds of phenomenon in the course of modernization of families.The paper adopts and defines a frame of"generational gap"which includes two aspects. Namely, it analyzes the impact on the intergenerational interact made by generational gap at the level of local culture and living demand respectively.As to the level of local culture, it argues that between generations there are differentiations in the surface layer of culture (namely material culture); whereas there is harmony or negotiation in the deep layer of culture (namely social and psychical culture). Thus, intergenerational relations in families are generally harmonious. The generational gap in the cultural level turns out to be mild. About this, please refer to chapter 3. As to the level of living demand, it emphasizes the influence of age. That is to say, different generation is at the different stage of the individual life cycle, thus he undertakes different responsibility and pursues different life. Meanwhile, they are both restricted by a given time, so as to help each other for the future considering their common-shared family pressure and risks. Therefore, the generational gap in the demand level is characterized with objectivity. About this, please refer to chapter 4.Due to the joint influence of the above two aspects, in today's Chinese urban families, the social security function is still the dominant function. Children successfully get material and labor benefits from parents while parents'emotional demands are not met from their children perfectly. In General, family resources tend to flow to children. About this, please refer chapter 5.The conclusion part points out that nowadays in the Chinese society the feedback model in the urban families has been changed into the combination of traditional values and modern life. It is unique and different from the western relay model. This change has been based on both the solidification of family values and the rise of individual consciousness, which jointly form the modernity of Chinese urban families.