USEUROPEAFRICAASIA 中文双语Français
Opinion
Home / Opinion / Op-Ed Contributors

The young and the aged must respect each other

By Wu Zheyu | China Daily | Updated: 2017-06-15 07:06

Strengthen social support network to ease pressure

The young and the aged must respect each other

Diao Pengfei, associate research fellow at the Institute of Sociology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences

Square dancing has become popular among senior citizens partly because of China's rapid economic development and rising aging population. Square dancing is just one form of recreation for senior citizens. Conflicts between the youth and senior citizens can be avoided if more recreational avenues are made available to senior citizens.

According to sociology theory, social support is related to the perception and actuality that one is cared for, has assistance available from other people, and that one is part of a supportive social network. These supportive resources can be emotional, tangible, informational or companionship.

In this regard, closer connection built through group recreations may help senior citizens get mutual assistance, which could fill some gaps left by home-based care for the aged. Statistics show that 96 percent of the elderly in China rely on family members' support, and middle-aged people usually use all their savings to provide for their families and take care of their children. So strengthening the community social support network might help ease their burdens and leave them with enough money to pay for their recreational activities.

Most Viewed in 24 Hours
Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site.
License for publishing multimedia online 0108263

Registration Number: 130349
FOLLOW US