The interdependence of happiness and filial piety within the family: a study in Vietnam

Abstract

Background Filial piety is one of the most important values in Vietnam, as it is in a number of East Asian countries. It is an expression of children’s respect, gratitude, and care for their parents. While filial piety may bring joy to parents and is a personal duty for offspring, it can also be a pressure for children. Hence, in recent years, some studies have considered filial piety as two di-mensions instead of one dimension. Participants and procedure This study focused on clarifying the relationship between filial piety and perceived family happiness with 385 adult off-spring who lived in Vietnam at the time of the study. The Dual Filial Piety Scale (DFPS) and the Interdependent Happiness Scale (IHS) were used. Results The results showed that participants regularly engaged in aspects of filial piety and there was no contradiction between authoritarian filial piety (AFP) and reciprocal filial piety (RFP). Filial piety can predict family happiness at a fairly high level. Conclusions These results, besides showing the importance and value to the family, also give a multi-dimensional and comprehensive view of filial piety. At the social level, upholding the value of filial piety is the basis for building family happiness as well as making an important contribution to the implementation of social security in the family.