Social support and the Chinese

"Thanks to the social security system in America which provides a worry-free life to my mother, [it] in turn relieves my burden to support my mom's living... In China, there is no social security or welfare for the elders. It is one of the big reasons that the Chinese children have a stronger sense
of responsibility for their parents." -- Mom

I've been meaning to write about social support and the Chinese for a while. I became interested in this subject while doing research for my senior thesis, as I tried to understand the effects of China's diminishing social support systems following economic reforms in 1978. The economist Amartya Sen argues that the Chinese preference for sons is primarily a socioeconomic one. Basically, many Chinese turn towards their families to provide adequate social support, particularly in old age. Because of traditions of patrilineal marriage, daughters are "given" in marriage and live with their in-laws. Sons stay "in" the family and are expected to provide care for their parents.

It's easy to see why sons are favored when there is little state support for the elderly. Most Chinese, both in and out of Chinese, seem to be largely apolitical, and rarely use politics to try and solve social problems (in marked contrast to most Latin American countries, for instance). And because most Chinese do not receive -- nor expect -- support from the state, they often turn toward their extended families for support.

Although the research has been out for a couple years at this point, the New York Times just published an article about gender bias even among overseas Chinese in the U.S.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/15/nyregion/15babies.html