The impact of modernization and globalization on the perception of the Chinese elderly towards their image and status

Abstract

As China develops, it becomes a member of the global world. While the positive aspects of modernization and globalization, such as greater affluence and higher living standard for the people, have often been stressed, few attempts have been made to look at the negative ones. This paper represents such an attempt. Based on a study conducted in the Wuhan city of China, it reports how the Chinese elderly have been affected by the twin processes of modernization and globalization. While the Chinese elderly have benefitted from the developments in the last three decades, with a stark improvement in their living standard, they have also been experiencing a lowering of their elevated positions, a loss in their traditional roles and statuses, and a feeling of inferiority in adapting to a technological advanced society as compared with the younger generations. In short, their image has been tarnished and the age-long tradition of respecting the old in China is now in doubt. While there is no short cut to improving the image of the Chinese elderly, our findings would help better understand both the positive and the negative impacts that modernization and globalization have on their lives.