In C K Lau's article, 'The cost of filial piety' (South China Morning Post, August 2), he examined the growing problem of care for the elderly. I have recently spent some time thinking about this issue. One thing I have noticed is that discussions on this subject often ignore or mis-state historical, cultural, and economic factors that I feel are crucial elements in any solution to this problem.
While filial piety has been highly formalised as a component of Chinese culture, it is hardly unique. Westerners also have feelings of love and obligation towards their parents. The Western social welfare state might be decried as an example of moral decay that must be avoided in Asia, but this sort of reasoning is superficial and ignores many structural changes in society and the economy that have a direct bearing on the care of the elderly. In the past, it was the norm for children in the West to live with, and care for, their parents as they grew old. If the change from this state wasn't due to moral decay, then what might the change reasonably be attributed to? Quite simply, the changing economic basis of society. As Western societies moved from agrarian and craft-based economies towards industrial economies, the ability of children to care for their parents has diminished. The increased mobility of the workforce has made matters worse.
It is this change, which occurred much earlier in the West, that is responsible for many of the current problems in Asia. As children, particularly sons, start developing careers independent of the family business, it becomes more difficult to balance the demands of a career and the need to care for aged parents. Interestingly, just as has occurred in the West, it is daughters who are increasingly having to bear the responsibility of caring for aged parents.
Finally, it must be recognised that financial assistance is only part of the help that is needed. The elderly often require assistance in performing everyday tasks, such as shopping and cleaning. While many children might be able to provide financial help, providing these other forms of care can often prove to be impossible due to the demands of a career.
Thus, attempting to legislate the 'correct' form of moral behaviour ignores many of the underlying causes of the problem and is likely to prove ineffective or counter-productive. Of particular concern is the possibility of pulling many women out of the workforce in order to care for their aged parents. The reason this should be of concern is that as the population continues to age, there will be increasing numbers of elderly relying upon decreasing numbers of workers.
There are clearly problems with the Western approach, so I wouldn't recommend the unqualified adoption of the Western social system. Still, there are options that might prove useful. One is known as 'eldercare', where employers provide assistance to employees. This does not necessarily need to be provided by employers, since either the private sector or the government can provide daytime programmes for the elderly.