Attitudes Toward Caring for Aging Parents: A Comparison of Laotian and U.S. Students

This study examined the effect of culture on attitudes toward filial obligations. The instrument used to measure filial responsibility comprised five dimensions of intergenerational solidarity: normative, functional, affectional, consensual, and structural. Results of a survey of 60 Laotian refugee high school students and 60 American high school students support the role of culture as an important factor in shaping perceptions of filial obligations toward aging parents. Laotian refugee students scored significantly higher on the dimensions of normative, functional, and structural solidarity. It is concluded that many of the same forces that motivate children in nonindustrial societies to look after their aging parents are likely to continue among the Laotian refugee subculture in the United States.