Motivations for Parent Care: The Case of Filial Children in Korea

Abstract

This study identified five major types of motivation for parent care in a survey of 130 filial Koreans: respect for parents, filial responsibility, harmonization of the family, repayment of debts, and filial sacrifice. The meanings of these qualitative dimensions of parent care in the cultural context of Korea are discussed. Filial motivations reflect the values Koreans are aspiring for today that consolidate the caring relationships between adult children and their elderly parents. Both the importance of nurturing filial morality and the need for advancing traditional values associated with the caring relationships are also discussed.