Institutionalized Risks and Shiduers’ Post-loss Experience: A Qualitative Analysis Among Older Bereaved Chinese Parents Who Have Lost Their Only Child

Abstract

In China, older adults whose only child has died are known as shiduers; these people are not only deeply impacted by their individual bereavement from losing their child but are also influenced by macro institutional factors. To further investigate this unintended consequence of the one-child policy and to illustrate the mechanism of influence of institutional factors on the sufferings and grief experiences of this population, this study conducted in-depth semi-structured interviews with 20 shiduers in Wuhan, China. In line with Ulrich Beck’s theory of risk society, the findings argue that the crises inherent in institutional factors not only affect the post-loss experiences of shiduers in harmful ways but also pose a number of life difficulties that are difficult to control and mitigate. More importantly, most shiduers’ life difficulties are rationalized, gradually transforming into manufactured and widespread shidu risks that persist long-term throughout their aging process.