Family rituals in today's China: Unveiling empirical patterns and participant consequences

Abstract

Chinese family life has long been shaped by a diverse array of family rituals, yet the relevance and persistence of these practices in the context of Reform-era China remains ambiguous. This study, utilizing data from the Chinese Cultural Values Survey (CCVS), seeks empirically to examine the patterns of three emblematic family rituals—weddings, funerals, and ancestor worship—in contemporary China, and to explore their multifaceted consequences for participants. These consequences include varying levels of family assistance, moral alignment with parental figures, self-assessed filial piety, the prioritization of parents over children in terms of time and material support, and attitudes toward Confucian culture, tradition, and informal social norms. Additionally, we investigate the impact of these rituals on personal well-being, such as feelings of loneliness, happiness, and generalized trust. High rates of participation were observed across all three rituals, with each eliciting significant emotional responses from participants, while simultaneously reinforcing familial bonds. Furthermore, one or more dimensions of these ritualistic practices consistently demonstrate effects that align with our theoretical propositions.