Round Table China Informal adoptive kinship for eldercare?
May 21, 2025
Joining via video link, Bob Jones, a social issues expert, dives into the intriguing concept of informal adoptive kinship in eldercare. He discusses how young adults in China are forming contractual relationships with the elderly, which may provide crucial support in a society facing shrinking families. The conversation explores community connections, highlighting the pros and cons of these non-blood kinship bonds. Bob also draws parallels with similar practices in the West and addresses the emotional complexities and risks involved in this evolving approach to caregiving.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Informal Kinship Emergence
- Informal adoptive kinship for elderly care is a response to fragmented families and limited state support in China.
- It involves mutually agreed, non-legal bonds offering financial help or companionship between young and old.
Godparents vs Social Kinship
- Godparenting in the West is religiously based, unlike China's informal elder kinship.
- Socially called aunties and uncles often helped raise children outside legal or biological ties.
Community-Raised Childhood
- Yu Shun was raised in a community where neighbors, especially elderly, played an active role.
- He fondly recalls wandering his compound and knowing many grandparents there.