| China's Dink Family | |
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| Oct 30, 2007 03:36 |   |
 | In China, there is a saying that a family is a cell of the whole society. The half centry has saw China's family structure experience a dramatic change. Chinese family structure experienced the transition from ' Extended Family' to 'Nuclear Family' to ' Dink Family'. Three or four generations living under the same roof is the ideal family structure in 1900s-1950s. Extended family structure remained the dominant family structure from the 1970s to mid-1980s. In late 1970s, China carried out its 'Family Planning Policy". 'Nuclear family' taken place of 'Extended family'. Today, more and more "Dink Families" are emerging in this fast-rising country. Do you know what a dink family is? I guess ' dink family' is more familiar to you than me. A family consisting of " One Couple with No Kids" is defined as a " Dink Family". There is a phenomenon in China that many young couple prefer living a life with no kids. The reason might be quite varied. Some elder people said that the young generation of Chinese are trying to avoid responsibility, since bringing up a child needs the couple to shoulder a lot of responsibilities. Some young Chinese insist that they want to live a free life different from the life of their predecessors. Who do you think of this issue? Does 'a dink family' mean that the couple is lack of a sense of responsibility? Would you like to have a 'Dink family"? |
| Oct 30, 2007 04:07 | #1 |
| DINK is an acronym for 'Double Income No Kids' which is a lifestyle gaining popularity around the world. Perhaps couples are choosing to begin a family at an older age, preferring career and/or travel before taking on the commitment and responsibility of a family. There are still many families in China with three generations living under the same roof. I teach kindergarten to kids from financially upper middle class families and more than 50% of the children who attend are delivered by the grandparents, sometimes in the company of a parent or the Aiyi Perhaps those young couples with no children are happy to live alone but for those with kids there still seems to be a close connection with the grandparents, many of them living in larger apartments or homes with the GP's baby sitting thus allowing the parents to live a DINK lifestyle anyway. |
| Oct 31, 2007 04:51 | #2 |
| "Double Income No Kids" Sounds like a good lifestyle. Free of reponsibility, free of worry! No wonder more and more Chinese young couples prefer living such a life. For the generation of Chinese "Little Emperors" ( only child spoiled by doting parents), responsibility sounds like a nightmare. |
| Oct 31, 2007 22:59 | #3 |
| Quote: "There are still many families in China with three generations living under the same roof. I teach kindergarten to kids from financially upper middle class families and more than 50% of the children who attend are delivered by the grandparents, sometimes in the company of a parent or the Aiyi " It is commonly seen that many Children are delivered to the school by the grandparents instead of the parents. Therefore, it is grandparents who took extra responsibilities. Having brought up their own kid to the adults, they shoulder the responsibilities to foster their grandsons, once again. Dink family reflect many young parents' mentality of shouldering least responsibility. |
| Nov 1, 2007 04:59 | #4 |
| Every generation has the freedom to choose the lifestyle they like. Times change, people's minds must keep up with the time. In the old era, people relied on their children to support them when they became old. Today, as social security improve, no need to have children. |
| Nov 2, 2007 02:48 | #5 |
| Nuclear family is still the main family structure in China. For the foreseeable future, "Dink family" was impossible to take the place of nuclear families. In China, there is an old saying " there are three unfilial things, while people having no children is the most unfilial." To put it more clearly and simply, if you don't have children, you are regarded as unfilial to your parents. |
| Nov 2, 2007 04:58 | #6 |
| I think the old time of the Dink Family will not be so happy than those with kids. In China, there is also a saying that 养儿防老(Yang3 er2 fang2 lao3), which means that we born children to prepare for the old age. The older generations know especially well of its meaning. I have heard from my grandma that an old man weak in the eyes was dead in the fire when cooking, just because he was single and had no kids and family members beside. Of Course with the improvement of living styles we could ask some one to specially attend to us when we are old, but we'll feel quite lonely then in the bottom of heart, especially when our life partner is gone. |
| Nov 4, 2007 21:23 | #7 |
| I think that Ellen has hit the nail on the head. When we become old, having no kids will give us a sense of isolation and loneliness. When we are young, we can do anything we want. Enjoy the freedom of being alone or only staying with the beloved partners. When we become senile, the need to be cared by some one of the next generation would mount. The traditional value still has its significance. |
| Dec 28, 2008 06:46 | #8 |
| GUEST05763 | kids is the hope of a family in china.Baby can make your life to be light.Just like sun shine you room,it takes warm and laugh to your life . |
| Dec 28, 2008 21:46 | #9 |
| GUEST607 | Generally speaking, westerners prefer Dink family, which partly reflects that westerners don't like taking responsibility. Raising kids need responsibility, which means you have to give more parental love to your kids. People who are lack of responsibility are not supposed to have kids. |
| Dec 29, 2008 04:29 | #10 |
| Generally speaking, Guest607, westerners prefer to have kids. Ok, dink is growing phenomenom but we can´t make any generalisations about that. "Raising kids need responsibility, which means you have to give more parental love to your kids. People who are lack of responsibility are not supposed to have kids." That I agree, about. Carlos |
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