Constructing Class in Later Life: Eldercare and the Performance of Social Distinction in a Retirement Home in China

Abstract: This article examines how middle-class elderly residents at a private retirement home in China construct their class identity. This construction is reflected in their decision to choose upscale facility-based care, which distinguishes their lifestyles from those of others. The author conducted ethnographic research at Xingfu Retirement Home, a senior living facility in the two years 2021 and 2022. These residents emphasise that their approach to ageing sets them apart from that of "other elderly", who depend on their children for support. For these residents, spending their later years in such a facility demonstrates both their consumption capacity and progressive mindset, both of which express and reinforce their class identity.