By Julie E 
Photo Credit ( Freepik )
China has enacted a new “Elderly Rights Law” that commands adult children to “never neglect or snub elderly people” and requires them to visit their elderly parents frequently, no matter how far away they live. The law also contains enforcement tools: children who do not make these visits to their parents may be subject to fines or even jail time.
The Elderly Rights Law suggests that parent-child relationships in China have recently gotten more complex. Eastern cultures, such as those in China, follow the Confucian tradition of “filial piety,” which places a high importance on the family and accords seniors the highest respect. But as a result of China’s fast industrialization, which has driven people to migrate to cities in search of employment, many adult children now live further away from their parents, who frequently stay in rural areas and are unable to pick them up and move.
The most valued values and characteristics of a culture are intimately related to how it views and treats its elderly. Here is a sample of how aging is experienced in many cultures worldwide:
Elderly people are not only respected but also honored in Korea. The 60th and 70th birthdays are significant life events for Koreans, and they are celebrated with lavish feasts and family gatherings. Similar to Chinese culture, it is widely accepted in Korea that when parents get older, the roles are reversed and that it is the responsibility of an adult kid, and a respectable one at that, to take care of their parents.
The Japanese, like the Chinese and Koreans, value filial piety and expect their offspring to take good care of their parents. However, Japan also has the particular challenge of caring for a population that is getting older. In 2020, 7.2 percent of Japanese people will be 80 years of age or older, compared to 4.1 percent in the United States, according to Social Gerontology: A Multidisciplinary Perspective. This is expected to cause a number of new issues for the nation. Already, adult diapers are selling better than baby diapers, and the pension system is about to collapse.
Protestantism in the United States and the United Kingdom
Western societies emphasize qualities like independence and individualism and are often youth-centric. This relates to the Protestant work ethic, which maintains that a person’s value is based on their ability to work, which declines with age. According to anthropologist Jared Diamond, who has researched how older people are treated in various cultures, older people in the United States and the United Kingdom lead “lonely lives separated from their children and lifelong friends.” The elderly in these societies frequently relocate to nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and retirement communities as their health declines.
France: The law also protects parents
In many Western cultures, it is hard to envision an Elder Rights Law as a top legislative priority. However, a similar law mandating its residents to maintain communication with their elderly parents was passed in France in 2004 (Article 207 of the Civil Code). However, it was only put into effect after two unsettling incidents: Firstly, statistics showed that France had the highest rate of pensioner suicides in Europe. Secondly, a heat wave killed 15,000 individuals, the majority of whom were old and many of whom had been dead for weeks before they were discovered.
Latin and Mediterranean culture: One large, contented family
The importance of the family is similar in Latin and Mediterranean civilizations. In both cultures, it is normal for several generations to share a home and all of the responsibilities that go along with it (a la My Big Fat Greek Wedding). While the breadwinners work outside the home, the oldest generation is frequently depended upon to help care for the youngest in the modern version of this living arrangement. As a result, the elderly continue to be fully incorporated into their final days.