Weaving Individualism into Collectivism: Chinese Adults’ Evolving Relationship and Family Values

Abstract

In this study, the author used structural equation modeling to test a hypothesized model of the correlations among Chinese adults’ age, education experience, gender, and their individualistic relationship and family values, considering the indirect effects of their receptivity to foreign media and to parental influence. Secondary data from 1752 Chinese urban adults were used in this study. Age and education experience had significant direct and indirect effects on participants’ attitudes towards individualistic relationship and family values. Female participants were more receptive to parental influence than male participants were. Male and female participants’ endorsement of relationship and family values also varied. Receptivity to foreign media and to parental influence, variables that were used to represent individualistic and collectivistic cultural forces, respectively, showed significant associations with both demographic variables and individualistic relationship and family values. Implications and limitations of the study were also discussed.