The Study About The Effects Of The Intergenerational Support Of Rural Elderly Family

In contemporary rural China, family security is still the main form for the aged. Family support from children plays an important part in the informal support. In the rural area dominated by the traditional culture, the opinion that the son should undertake the responsibility of old parents still prevails, which contradicts the limited of the number of children in low fertility. Under the guidance of social exchange theory and the theory about generation relationship,the study make an approach to the effect of intergenerational support, laying stress on the gender and marriage form of the children. In the course of the investigation, the writer uses the questionnaire surveys and in-dept interviews as the main methods. In the course of the analysis, the writer uses SPSS for the quantitative analysis to state some basic information and finally to expound the views according to the qualitative analysis.The research comes up with four hypotheses, and tests the hypotheses with analysis. There are three main contents of this study:first, the differences between son and daughter on family support; secondly,the diversity between the different marriage form; last,the effect of interaction model within the gender and marriage form.By researching, the six hypotheses are testing or correcting in varying degrees and the author draws the following conclusions:1.The aged in rural areas take on the feature with ’low standard’and’self-sacrifice’in their old age;2. The intergenerational center of family shift down and the power of the aged become weak;3. The marriage form make up the gender preference;4. Intergenerational economic relations tends rational and support for the elderly shows significant exchange.Finally, the study presents the following questions for reflection and discussion:1. The concept of gender between the offspring and parent;2. The strength of the position of the daughter by the uxorilocal marriage form;3.The necessary of correct the traditional concept of’multi-children, more happiness’and the theory of complements about family support;4.The utilitarian color of the pension motive;5. Increasing the quality of old support.