Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Social Support and the ‘Left Behind’ Elderly in Rural China: A Case Study from Jiangxi Province

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Journal of Community Health Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This study examines the living situation of elderly people in rural China whose children have left to work in other areas [the ‘left behind’ elderly (LBE)] and explores policy implications associated with their care. Based on survey data and interviews conducted in three villages in Jiangxi Province, China, we compare the living situation of the LBE and the ‘non-left behind’ elderly (NLBE). The data reveal that the LBE are relatively more isolated and that they spend less time interacting with neighbors and more time watching television. The study shows that the LBE have a much greater need for care services than income maintenance. Also, the LBE group has less social capital than the NLBE group. Based on our findings, it is clear that the proposal to use social capital and informal care cannot effectively meet all the needs of the LBE group. Instead, it is recommended that a comprehensive system of social support is developed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. National Bureau of Statistics of China. (2012). China statistical yearbook 2012. Beijing: China Statistics Press.

    Google Scholar 

  2. National Bureau of Statistics of China. (2012). Annual report on 2011 China’s national economic operation situation.

  3. National Bureau of Statistics of China. (2010). China statistical yearbook 2010. Beijing: China Statistics Press.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Cai, M. (2006). A study of the rural elderly’s living condition in the context of labor economy—An empirical analysis of Zhugao Town, Jintang County, Sichuan Province. Rural Economy, 4, 118–121.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Chen, T. (2009). The current living conditions of the rural left behind elderly—A survey of 258 rural elderly. Hubei Social Sciences, 8, 57–60.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Hu, Q. (2006). Caring for the left behind elderly in rural areas in the process of urbanization. Journal of Nanjing College for Population Programme Management, 2, 25–28.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Wilensky, H. (1975). The Welfare State and equality: Structural and ideological roots of public expenditure. Berkeley: University of California.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Zhou, F. (2006). A research on the situation of ‘left behind’ elderly in our country. Northwest Population, 1, 46–56.

    Google Scholar 

  9. National Population and Family Planning Commission (NPFPC). (2011). Report on 2011 China’s Migration Population Development.

  10. Cui, R. (2007). The living condition of the left behind elderly in the underdeveloped rural region—A survey of Long Feng County in Enshi City of Hubei Province. Journal of Hubei Administration Institute, 2, 63–67.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Sun, P. (2006). Caring the rural left behind elderly during the process of labor migration. Population Journal, 4, 14–18.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Wang, P., Lin, W., & Li, Y. (2007). The survey of life satisfaction among the rural “left-behind” elderly. Journal of Nanjing College for Population Programme Management, 23(1), 41–44.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Childs, G., Goldstein, M. C., & Wangdui, P. (2011). Externally-resident daughters, social capital, and support for the elderly in rural Tibet. Journal of cross-cultural gerontology, 26(1), 1–22.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Knodel, J., & Saengtienchai, C. (2007). Rural parents with urban children: Social and economic implications of migration for the rural elderly in Thailand. Population, Space and Place, 13(3), 193–210.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Kreager, P. (2006). Migration, social structure and old-age support networks: A comparison of three Indonesian communities. Ageing and Society, 26(1), 37–60.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Mason, K. O. (1992). Family change and support of the elderly in Asia: What do we know? Asia Pacific Population Journal, 7(3), 13–32.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Du, P., Ding, H., Li, Q., & Gui, J. (2004). The impact on left behind elderly caused by rural children going out of village to work in cities. Population Research, 28(6), 44–52.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Macwangi, M., Cliggett, L., & Alter, G. (1996). Consequences of rural-urban migration on support for the elderly in Zambia [Unpublished]. Presented at the Annual Meeting of the Population Association of America New Orleans Louisiana May 9–11, 1996.

  19. Miltiades, H. B. (2002). The social and psychological effect of an adult child’s emigration on non-immigrant Asian Indian elderly parents. Journal of Cross-Cultural Gerontology, 17(1), 33–55.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Du, J., & Du, X. (2002). Rural–urban migration and its impacts on family old-support systems in rural areas. Population Research, 26(2), 49–53.

    Google Scholar 

  21. He, C., & Ye, J. (2009). The review on the issue of the left behind elderly. Journal of China Agricultural University (Social Sciences Edition), 2, 24–34.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Xun, J. (2007). The impact on left behind family caused by villagers going out to work—A field report from H village of LU Southwest. Youth Research, 6, 14–21.

    Google Scholar 

  23. Yu, X. (2005). The impact of labor migration on rural retaining population—A survey of a village in ChongQing. Journal of Chongqing Technology Business University, 6, 31–34.

    Google Scholar 

  24. Hong, D., Tang, S., Zhang, Y., & Tang, X. (2007). An analysis of the survey data on the life satisfaction and quality of life of the rural left-behind people. Hunan Social Sciences, 1, 64–67.

    Google Scholar 

  25. Hugo, G. (2002). Effects of international migration on the family in Indonesia. Asian and Pacific Migration Journal, 11(1), 13–46.

    Google Scholar 

  26. Zhang, Y. (2002). From social support to social support network: An analysis of practice pattern of social support for the disadvantaged. Journal of Xiamen University (Arts and Social Sciences), 3, 94–107.

    Google Scholar 

  27. Zuo, D., & Li, S. (2011). The impact of labor migration on well-being of the elderly left behind in rural China—Based on surveys in inflow and outflow places. Journal of Public Management, 2, 93–100.

    Google Scholar 

  28. Luo, R., & Cheng, P. (2007). The current status of the rural left behind elderly—Based on XingRen County, GuiZhou Province. The People’s Tribune (Academic frontier), 7, 222–223.

    Google Scholar 

  29. Zhou, Z. (2009). A study on the Income of left-behind elderly in rural areas. Population Journal, 5, 32–37.

    Google Scholar 

  30. Wenger, G. C., & St Leger, F. (1992). Community structure and support network variations. Ageing and Society, 12(2), 213–236.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Wenger, G. C., & Liu, J. (1998). Beijing elderly social support network survey-compared to Liverpool UK elderly social support network. Sociological Studies, 2, 56–66.

    Google Scholar 

  32. Yin, P., & Wang, L. (2002). An analysis of social support for the elderly left-behind in less developed rural areas—Based on the empirical research into Pingxiang City in Jiangxi Province. Academic Journal of Guangdong Industrial University (Social Science Edition), 2, 16–24

    Google Scholar 

  33. Zhang, W., Ruan, D., & Pan, Y. (1999). Social support network for Tianjin rural residents. Sociological Studies, 2, 108–118.

    Google Scholar 

  34. Li, J. (2006). Pay attention to the rural left behind elderly—A survey about 318 old people in ZongYang and TongCheng city, Anhui province. China Rural Construction, 1, 110–113.

    Google Scholar 

  35. Luo, M., Jiang, Q., Zhang, J., Tan, L., Ying, G., & Gan, H. (2011). A study of influencing factors for health status of rural left behind elderly. Journal of Sichuan University (Medicine Science Edition), 3, 409–412.

    Google Scholar 

  36. Su, J., & Wang, Z. (2009). A survey on the current situation of the rural left-behind elderly. Medicine and Society, 22(2), 11–13.

    Google Scholar 

  37. Li, C., & He, C. (2010). Studies of the formal social support for the left behind elderly in rural China. Journal of China Agricultural University (Social Sciences Edition), 1, 113–120.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the “Social Support for the ‘left behind’ elderly” Grant (08SH08) funded by the Social Sciences Fund of Jiangxi Province, China, and a research project on elderly care Grant (12JZD035) supported by the Ministry of Education in China.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China

    Ka Lin

  2. Jiangxi University of Finance and Economics, Nanchang, People’s Republic of China

    Pingjun Yin

  3. University of Leeds, Leeds, UK

    Nicholas Loubere

Authors
  1. Ka Lin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Pingjun Yin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Nicholas Loubere
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ka Lin.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Lin, K., Yin, P. & Loubere, N. Social Support and the ‘Left Behind’ Elderly in Rural China: A Case Study from Jiangxi Province. J Community Health 39, 674–681 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10900-014-9864-4

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10900-014-9864-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation