Flexible Intergenerational Relations in Rural Southern China

ABSTRACT Lineage has a long history in southern China where many villages have maintained lineage ethics and activities even in present days. Previous researches suggest that the intergenerational relations in such areas appear a relax situation owing to the strong lineage tradition. However, this paper, from the perspective of the younger generation and the daily contact among generations, reveals that the younger generation challenges the authority of the elder generation in everyday lives, which results in the strained intergeneration relations. Nonetheless, the funeral ceremony plays an important role to alleviate the tension in the symbolic domain. The experimental design of this research relies on participant-observation, questionnaire, and in-depth interview in a multi-lineage village in Fujian province, China.