A three-generation family taking a family portrait to celebrate the Spring Festival of 2024 in Beijing Photo: IC Photo 

---

Over the past four decades of reform and opening up, China has undergone an exceptionally rapid process of modernization. In the course of this transformation, while trends toward smaller, nuclear family structures have emerged, key characteristics of the traditional extended family—such as multigenerational cohabitation and strong intergenerational bonds—have persisted. Concerning this continuity in the contemporary era, a prominent view suggests that China’s modernization has been so rapid that modern and even postmodern family structures have emerged alongside residual traditional forms, resulting in a hybrid model. Some scholars argue that under the influence of “compressed” modernization, family structures in East Asian societies inevitably integrate both traditional and modern elements. Based on this framework, the “mosaic” theory has been proposed to explain the evolution of Chinese family structures.

While existing theories help illuminate the diversity and complexity of family transformation in China, they fall short in fully explaining the persistence of the extended family. According to these theories, the endurance of the extended family is attributed to the residual structural influence of traditional family institutions on contemporary Chinese life. If this were the case, such influences should be most apparent in rural areas, regions experiencing slower modernization, or among older generations. Yet, empirical evidence challenges this assumption. Notably, traditional family arrangements remain common in economically developed eastern coastal cities and among younger generations. Studies indicate that nearly 40% of urban couples under the age of 40 in China cohabit with their parents—an observation not adequately explained by existing frameworks.

Furthermore, if the endurance of the extended family were merely a consequence of an incomplete transition toward nuclearization, it would be reasonable to expect this family form to diminish over time. As modernization progresses, foreign cultural concepts spread from the eastern coastal cities to the rural areas of the central and western parts of China, and younger generations replace their elders. Yet, the extended family persists, raising the question of its underlying causes. Addressing this issue requires moving beyond the conventional perspective that conceptualizes the extended family as a rigid institution. Instead, analysis should focus on family practices within the context of rapid social transformation. From this perspective, the persistence of the extended family does not stem from strict adherence to traditional family norms but rather an adaptive choice made by individuals to navigate the profound socio-economic shifts in contemporary China.

Compatibility of traditional extended family and modern society

If traditional extended families were entirely incompatible with modernity, why do they continue to hold appeal amid the rapid advance of modernization? According to classical family modernization theory, traditional extended families are fundamentally at odds with modern society. In World Revolution and Family Patterns, William J. Goode identifies four reasons [including geographic mobility, social mobility, economic independence, and value system changes] for this presumed incompatibility. While Goode’s analysis has certain validity, it remains one-sided—it focuses exclusively on the tensions between extended families and modern society, without acknowledging their potential points of compatibility.

At least three key factors illustrate this compatibility. First, individuals in modern society face increasing social risks that are difficult to navigate alone. The extended family, through multigenerational cohabitation and intergenerational support, enhances individuals’ ability to cope with these risks. Second, as women increasingly enter the workforce, conflicts between traditional domestic roles and modern professional expectations have become more pronounced. Extended families help mitigate this tension by providing intergenerational childcare and household assistance, enabling women to balance work and family responsibilities more effectively. Third, modern society tends to amplify feelings of loneliness and isolation. Extended families, through intimate intergenerational interaction, offer crucial emotional support and a sense of belonging, helping to alleviate such feelings.

As such, modernization does not simply erode the extended family; rather, it generates both pressures for its dissolution and conditions for its persistence. Since the reform and opening up, China’s rapid modernization has been accompanied by significant social challenges, including heightened uncertainties, intensified work-family conflicts for women, and a diminishing sense of collective identity amid the process of individualization. In response, individuals do not rely solely on formal social security systems and social policies but actively seek support from informal family networks. From this perspective, the extended family should not be viewed merely as a residual structure persisting due to “compressed” modernization.

A critical question emerges: If modernization in China had unfolded gradually over a century, as it did in many Western countries, would Chinese families necessarily conform to Western nuclear family models? Even in such a scenario, individuals would likely continue to draw on traditional family structures to navigate the uncertainties of modernity. Therefore, in the context of rapid modernization and cultural globalization, the persistence of the extended family is best understood as a conscious and adaptive choice. Individuals selectively retain those elements of the extended family that align with modern society while modifying or discarding those that do not. As a result, the Chinese family exhibits a dynamic integration of tradition and modernity, while the traditional extended family itself undergoes a transformation marked by modernization and ethical reconstruction.

Persistence of traditional forms and substantive transformations

This study examines three key aspects of the contemporary Chinese family: multi-generational cohabitation, intergenerational communication, and the concept of filial piety. Through this framework, it explores both the persistence and transformation of the extended family tradition in contemporary China from the perspective of family practices. The central argument posits that while many contemporary Chinese families retain nominal characteristics associated with the traditional extended family, the underlying logic governing intergenerational relationships has shifted markedly.

First, regarding multi-generational cohabitation, while many elderly parents continue to reside with their adult children, the traditional practice of virilocal residence—where elderly parents reside with the son’s family—is no longer universal. The primary factor sustaining such living arrangements is no longer a cultural preference for multi-generational households but rather the pragmatic need for mutual support across generations—encompassing economic assistance, everyday life, and emotional companionship.

Second, in terms of intergenerational support, while children still provide for aging parents, elderly care is no longer perceived as an obligatory duty exclusively borne by sons. The degree and mode of filial support have become negotiable. Additionally, rather than being solely recipients of care, elderly parents actively contribute to their children’s lives within the limits of their capacity.

Third, while the tradition of filial piety remains deeply embedded in contemporary Chinese society, its interpretation has shifted from the traditional expectation of “both filial and obedient” to a “filial but not necessarily obedient” model. As authoritative filial piety weakens and reciprocal filial piety emerges, both perceptions of intergenerational relationships and actual patterns of interaction have undergone profound shifts.

These trends suggest that contemporary Chinese families exhibit a distinctive blend of nominal continuity and substantive change. In this sense, modern Chinese families represent a hybrid institution that merges elements of traditional extended families with modern values. On one hand, they selectively preserve the close intergenerational ties and functional support networks characteristic of the traditional family system. On the other hand, they increasingly discard the traditional emphasis on hierarchy, order, and authority, instead embracing modern principles of independence, equality, and reciprocity.

This study argues that the coexistence of tradition and modernity within contemporary Chinese families reflects a deliberate and creative integration of traditional familial patterns with modern sensibilities, resulting in a distinct structure that diverges from both historical Chinese family models and Western family systems. This hybrid model is not merely a transitional phase in the progression from tradition to modernity, nor can it be reduced to a special stage in a “compressed” modernization process. Rather, it is plausible that this model will persist and continue to evolve over time.

Lens of family practices

The findings of this study underscore the theoretical advantage of analyzing contemporary Chinese family transformations through the lens of family practices rather than family institutions. This perspective not only allows for a deeper understanding of the increasing fluidity of family life but also enables a more dynamic and constructive reassessment of the role of traditional family structures in modern society. Within the context of rapid modernization and cultural globalization, the extended family should not be regarded merely as a structural force external to the individual. Instead, greater attention should be directed toward the innovative adaptations and transformations of the traditional extended family within concrete family practices. To a certain extent, the hybrid family model discussed in this study—one that retains a traditional outward form while integrating modern values—emerges as a product of family practices, or represents an institution reconstituted through them. Unlike the conventional extended family, this evolving institution is characterized by ongoing fluidity and reconstruction, without imposing rigid constraints on individual behavior.

Furthermore, it is necessary to acknowledge that the resurgence of the extended family in contemporary China is largely attributable to its continued role in sustaining family livelihoods and providing emotional support. This highlights the importance of improving family policies and strengthening family development efforts. Scholars have increasingly advocated for family policies designed to support the harmony, stability, and healthy development of Chinese families. Given the growing fluidity of family structures and the increasing diversity of familial needs, it is imperative that family policies evolve in tandem with these transformations. Policy frameworks must be designed with both flexibility and diversity.

Given China’s unique family traditions and modernization path, there are no readily applicable international precedents for its family policy formulation. Only by respecting tradition while seeking to transcend it can a new family model be created—one that meets individual needs as well as the requirements of the new era of socialism with Chinese characteristics. 

Xu Qi is a professor from the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences at Nanjing University. 

Edited by REN GUANHONG