The Role Of Daughters In Rural Family Intergenerational Support

According to the sixth national census in2010, the number of65years old and above has reached119million, and this is8.87%of the total population. Our society is undergoing aging process. Among them, the rural elderly population still needs to mainly rely on their families due to lack of social endowment insurance system in a long time. However, with the change of society and a large outflow of rural labor, the traditional family endowment which is mainly supported by sons is gradually declining in rural areas. The role of daughters is increasingly important, rural family intergenerational support is presenting "a daughter tendency"The author investigated deeply in village A located in western Hunan province. Results show that in village A, the daughter tendency in rural family intergenerational support is still unclear among the group of60years old and above. But it has appeared among the people of50-60years old. Their concept of family endowment has been changing. Firstly, they expect more and more on their daughters. Secondly, their ideal endowment pattern has turning from depending on only sons to all children. Besides, their daughters’ability and willingness of family intergenerational support has been increasing. In some families, the intergenerational support which is provided by daughters is more than that by sons. The reasons which arouse this phenomenon can be divided into macro social causes and micro individual factors. The author analyses the micro interviewees’ experience, from which reflects the macro factors. Daughter tendency, as a new phenomenon in rural family intergenerational support must be treated rationally. On one hand, we should pay attention to its positive functions; On the other hand, the bad influence it may cause should also be realized.