Chen Feinian, Liu Guangya, Mair Christine A
Department of Sociology, University of Maryland, College Park.
Soc Forces. 2011 Dec 1;90(2):571-594. doi: 10.1093/sf/sor012. Epub 2011 Dec 22.
Guided by theories and empirical research on intergenerational relationships, we examine the phenomenon of grandparents caring for grandchildren in contemporary China. Using a longitudinal dataset (China Health and Nutrition Survey), we document a high level of structural and functional solidarity in grandparent-grandchildren relationships. Intergenerational solidarity is indicated by a high rate of coresidence between grandchildren and grandparents, a sizable number of skipped-generation households (no parent present), extensive childcare involvement by non-coresidential grandparents, and a large amount of care provided by coresidential grandparents. Multivariate analysis further suggests that grandparents' childcare load is adaptive to familial needs, as reflected by the characteristics of the household, household members, and work activities of the mothers.
在代际关系理论和实证研究的指导下,我们考察了当代中国祖父母照顾孙辈的现象。利用纵向数据集(中国健康与营养调查),我们记录了祖孙关系中高度的结构和功能团结。代际团结表现为孙辈与祖父母的高同居率、相当数量的隔代家庭(没有父母)、非同居祖父母广泛参与育儿以及同居祖父母提供大量照顾。多变量分析进一步表明,祖父母的育儿负担适应家庭需求,这体现在家庭特征、家庭成员以及母亲的工作活动上。