A narrative inquiry of the intergenerational transmission of cultural family values in mainland China

ABSTRACTThis qualitative study of narrative inquiry involved fifty-eight families in mainland China. The life histories and lived experiences of one hundred and fifty-six people across three generations, amounting to 600,000 words, were recorded as narrative materials about the intergenerational transmission of cultural family values within the past seventy years. Findings indicate that parents hold a notable importance in value transmission. The changing but still significant core values such as filial piety, educational aspirations, collective personhood and patriotism, and the cultivation of moral values are often associated with Chinese families and are underpinned by the national discourse of harmony, stability, and loyalty. Additionally, storytelling, parental modelling, direct teaching, and behaviour training are the primary means of communicating and imparting cultural family values. Children need more opportunities to reflect about what they are taught concerning moral and cultural values.KEYWORDS: Intergenerational transmissioncultural family valuesnarrative inquirymainland China AcknowledgmentsThe author would like to thank the two anonymous reviewers who provided thoughtful comments and detailed suggestions on draft of this article.Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).Additional informationFundingThis study was supported by Tianjin Philosophical and Social Science Foundation Planning Project (TJWW21-004); Liberal Arts Development Foundation of Nankai University (ZB22BZ0306); Chinese Foundation of Foreign Language Education (ZGWYJYJJ11A088); 2021 Special Scientific Research Project of Tianjin Educational Committee (Foreign Language Education, 2021ZXWY-YB01).Notes on contributorsLina SunLina Sun got her PhD in Education from Saint Louis University, US. She is now teaching at the School of Foreign Languages, Nankai University, Tianjin, China and her research interests include critical literacy, children's literature, multicultural education, and youth development. Her most recent publications have been seen in Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, Children's Literature in Education, Teaching in Higher Education, Neohelicon, Literacy, Educational Studies, Multicultural Education, Voice of Youth Advocates, etc.