Research On Only Children And Their Parents’ Will Of Old-age Support

According to the standard of the United Nations, China has entered an aging society in 1999. At the end of 2005, the proportion of the people over 60 years old was 11%. According to the data released by the Civil Affairs Department, the population of the aged over 60 years old amounted to 194,000,000 which accounted for 14.3% of the total population by the end of 2012. The population of the aged over 60 years old is expected to rise to 243,000,000 by 2020 and 300,000,000 by 2025. These data includes a part of the aged who belong to a special group, namely the parents of the only child. China started to fully implement the family planning policy in the 1970 s and formulated family planning as a basic national policy in the early 1980 s. The implementation of the family planning policy for 30 years and the national policy strictly implemented have helped China to avoid the uncontrolled increase of population successfully, but also brought to China some significant changes. One of the changes is that the number of the only child increases while the average number of family members decreases gradually with the implementation of the family planning policy and the change of family consciousness. As a result, family composition takes on the trend of miniaturization. As the parents of the first generation of the only child become old, a new problem arises accordingly, namely the problem of old-age support in the families of the only child. For a long time, the most dominant pattern of old-age support is family supporting in Chinese society. “Bringing up sons to support parents in their old age” is a famous dictum for years, How to properly cope with the problem of old-age support in the families of the only child is a greater aging crisis and challenge they are going to face.To prepare for meeting the crisis and challenge, it is necessary to know and understand the will and needs of the only child and their parents with regard to old-age support and the biggest trouble they are getting in. After knowing about all of these, it is more likely to offer suggestions, countermeasures and help, also provide the basis for the development of pension policy. On the problem of old-age support in the families of the only child. The study conducts an investigation and carries on statistics about the will of the only child and their parents regarding the problem of old-age support through questionnaires and semi-structured interviews, finds the weak links in the will of the only child and their parents regarding the problem, puts forward suggestions and countermeasures, provide the basis for the one-child family pension and the decisions of pension policy. Lay the foundation for a better solution to the one-child family pension problem.Objective: To discover the old-age support pattern suitable for one-child family by learning only children and their parents’ will of old-age support through research, which can ease the old-age support pressure of only-child families and relieve the old-age support pressure of the entire society.Methods: In this research, the survey and statistics were carried out for only children and their parents’ will of old-age support by means of questionnaire survey and semi-structured interview. The questionnaires included questionnaire for only children and the questionnaire for the parents of only children. 265 pieces of questionnaire for the parents of only children were issued, with 230 effective pieces collected. 230 parents of only children were surveyed, including 114 men and 116 women. Their average age was 48. 265 pieces of questionnaire for the only children were issued, with 235 effective pieces collected. 235 only children were surveyed, including 109 boys and 126 girls. Their average age was 23. The data were entered by using Spss13.0, and data analysis was carried out by using descriptive statistics, x2 inspection and correlation analysis. 6 typical parents of only children and 6 only children were interviewed respectively. The number of interviewees was 12. Semi-structured interview was completed.Results:1. In terms of parents of only children:(1) 47.8% parents of only children choose family supporting, which indicates that family supporting is still the mainstream old-age support pattern for the parents of only children in China.(2) Of senior citizens with the education background above senior high school/technical secondary school, the proportion of those who are willing to choose institutional care of the elderly is higher. However, the senior citizens with lower educational background are mostly willing to choose family supporting instead of institutional care of the elderly.(3) Among the parents of only children, people of different genders choose different social supports. Women mostly choose informal social support such as children or relatives, etc., while men mostly choose formal social support.2. In terms of only children:(1) 63.8% only children choose family supporting. They are willing to take their parents to their homes to take care of them.(2) According to statistical analysis, only children with higher monthly income face less old-age support pressure, while only children with lower monthly income face greater old-age support pressure.(3) Most students will choose to communicate with their parents everyday. Most only children with formal work choose to go home to take care of their parents or call them on a regular basis.Conclusions:1. In terms of parents of only childrenThe gender and educational background of the parents of only children have certain influence on their will of old-age support. However, 47.8% parents of only children choose family supporting, which accounts for the largest proportion in this survey.2.In terms of only childrenThe gender, job and educational background of only children have no significant influence on their selection for their parents’ old-age support pattern. 63.8% only children choose family supporting. However, only children universally feel great burden and pressure for taking care of parents. They hope that the government and the society can provide certain help for family supporting of one-child families.