Filial piety. A cross-cultural comparison and its implications for the well-being of older parents

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to compare and contrast the concept of filial piety in Chinese culture and American culture and to discuss the relationship between expectations of filial piety and the well-being of older adults. In both cultures, filial piety is a socially approved virtue and contains attributes of respecting, caring for, and loving the parents. The differences include: obedience versus confrontation of parents; limited versus unlimited responsibility to parents; and a difference in the concept of legitimate support. Based on previous literature, the relationship between the expectations of filial piety and parents' well-being was explored, and nursing implications were suggested. Nonetheless, there is no single intervention that could fit all clients from one culture. Nurses need to examine to what extent clients value their culture of origin.