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Life Satisfaction Among Older Adults in Taiwan: The Effects of Marital Relations and Intergenerational Relations

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Successful Aging

Abstract

The purpose of this chapter was to discuss the relationship between family supports and the elderly’s life satisfaction in Taiwan. This chapter begun with a portrait of growth of aging population in Taiwan and the concept of “aging well” in Chinese society were outlined. Then, changes in family relations, social supports and their impact on life satisfaction in old age were discussed from a culture point of view with focus on kinship structure in traditional Chinese society. Finally, the relations between the elderly’s marital relations, intergenerational relations and perceptions of filial piety and life satisfaction were examined. The elderly in Taiwan were satisfied with life, and marital satisfaction affected life satisfaction more than intergenerational relations do. The parent-child intergenerational relations and the quality of such relations affected life satisfaction, but there was a difference between older men and women. Also, the perception of traditional filial piety affected the life satisfaction of older men, and this was related to the quality of intergenerational relations. Overall, traditional beliefs, value systems and societal transformation have shaped the Taiwanese elderly’s perceptions of what a good old age means. The chapter concludes with some discussion and suggestions for policy.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Human Development and Family Studies, National Taiwan Normal University, No. 162, Sec. 1, Heping E. Rd., Da’an Dist., Taipei City 106, Taiwan (R.O.C.)

    Ju-Ping Lin Ph.D.

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  1. Ju-Ping Lin Ph.D.
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Correspondence to Ju-Ping Lin Ph.D. .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. of Health and Physical Education, The Hong Kong Institute of Education, Tai Po, Hong Kong SAR

    Sheung-Tak Cheng

  2. School of Social Work, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA

    Iris Chi

  3. Department of Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR

    Helene H. Fung

  4. School of Social Work, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA

    Lydia W. Li

  5. Dept. of Medicine and Therapeutics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR

    Jean Woo

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Lin, JP. (2015). Life Satisfaction Among Older Adults in Taiwan: The Effects of Marital Relations and Intergenerational Relations. In: Cheng, ST., Chi, I., Fung, H., Li, L., Woo, J. (eds) Successful Aging. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-9331-5_11

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