Continuity or Change? Family Structure and Its Consequences in Transitional China

Transforming demographic, socioeconomic and cultural forces have jointly brought about profound changes to the family organization in China. By situating the family organization into the broad context of modernization and globalization, this paper traces the changing trend, patterns and characteristics in family structure and its consequences for family relationships, function and values in China. More changes have been detected in a centennial perspective, while more continuities in a decadal perspective. Overall, family size has reduced and family forms have become more diversified in the past three decade, which has simplified and distanced family relationship (while intimate), weakened many family functions and reshaped family norms and culture. While changing in various ways and important challenges remain, however, the Chinese family has been resilient to societal transformation, if ever changing, due to its deeply rooted tradition and current structural constraints, which maintain family solidarity, integrity, and cohesion. In the future, both the government and the family have to face decreased ability to maintain family functions to keep pace with demographic transition, persistently large-scale migration and geographic separation among family members, and a surge in changing norms towards the family.