Fortress besieged

Fortress besieged attitudes to housing

• Prof Xian Shi explainshowsociocultural factorsshape housing choices, particularly gender, marriage and education, plussocial normsincludingfilial piety. • She focuses on the intergenerational context within which contradictionsin attitudesareemerging.

• 綫實教授認為社會文化因素會影響住屋的選 擇，特別是性別、婚姻、教育程度，以及其他 社會規範，例如中國人重視孝道等。 • 她的研究集中於跨世代相處，例如如何融合和 包容不同世代的態度和想法。

What are the strongest motives for young Hong Kong people to continue to live with parents?

Among several factors, the lack of affordable housing is the most important according to our recent survey. Some 70% of the young respondents agreed or strongly agreed that they lived with parents because they could not afford to live anywhere else. Motivation may also relate to social norms concerning marital status and filial piety. There is general acceptance of co-residence with parents before getting married in Hong Kong. Comfort and intergenerational support are other major factors, together with recognition of the implications of living in an ageing society.

Do you think that recognizing Hong Kong as a traditional society is important for understanding the relationship between young people and their parents in Hong Kong today?

Young people in our study did express traditional viewpoints. More than 80% agreed or strongly agreed that Chinese people should preserve close family ties and more than 60% considered living with parents to be an act of filial piety. The survey also found that over 80% of young people gave money to their parents as a contribution to family expenses.

Are any other practical factors at play?

More than two-thirds agreed that they lived with parents because their parents could take care of them. The survey revealed that the majority of those living with parents agreed or strongly agreed that “there are too many domestic chores to do if you live on your own.” However, 87.6% of those living with parents said they did so because it meant they could take care of their parents in return. Such support is perceived as being mutually beneficial—a finding of particular relevance in an ageing society where traditional norms of reciprocity have been found to be under pressure with the rise of nuclear families in Hong Kong.

What contradictions about housing expectations and aspirations did you discover in your research?

The influence of both Asian social norms and western lifestyles is evident. This is reflected in enjoyment of the benefits of parental care on the one hand and desire for freedom and autonomy on the other.

Views on family life, marriage, and the housing choices associated with marital status may also reflect East/West cultural tensions. The majority agreed that living with parents involved filial piety even though such an attitude may be disappearing among young people in most parts of China today. Many of them also aspired to leaving the parental nest when they got married or had a partner.

Another apparent contradiction lay in the finding that 50% were optimistic about their job prospects and 80% believed they would be better off than their parents but 80% agreed or strongly agreed that their income would not rise faster than house prices.

Do you think a change in social norms has already taken place in Hong Kong?

As with marriage, living with parents is a “fortress besieged” *, meaning that those inside want to get out and those outside want to get in. While many young people enjoy living with their parents, some 20% agreed that it was inconvenient while among those who lived alone, some wanted to move back.

Indeed, perhaps these are not so much East/West cultural tensions but would be more correctly viewed as contradictions experienced by young people anywhere who want to enjoy both the benefits of parental care and freedom and autonomy, especially after they get married or have a partner.

Does parental opposition play a part in young people’s decisions on whether and when to leave home?

Only 13.5% of the respondents said they lived at home because of their parents disapproved of them leaving. About three-quarters of those currently living with their parents expected to move out when they got married and marriage is still the strongest trigger. 40% said they would do so when they had enough money to live independently.

How common is it for Hong Kong parents or other family members to offer help to children who want to buy flats?

According to our findings, direct financial support such as help with paying rent or a down-payment on a flat is less likely than the kind of indirect financial support that enables children to save money. This was surprising and points to the need for intensive research of these issues. The support offered by parents who take care of the housework was also noted.

*Note on the title “Fortress Besieged” (《圍城》) is the title of a Chinese satirical novel about family life written by Qian Zhongshu ( 錢鍾書 ). First published in 1947, it is considered a masterpiece of twentieth century Chinese literature.

In what ways is gender significant in the pattern in which Hong Kong youth leave home?

Parental nests are comfortable for young people. They can avoid housework and living there helps them save money. In general terms, the young females surveyed enjoyed living with parents more, and had less motivation to leave than males. On the contrary, more males than females thought that young people should be able to leave home at an earlier age. The reason may be related to Chinese culture, where daughters usually maintain closer relationships with their parents than sons. It may also be related to a universal social norm where females are more likely to take on the burden of housework than sons when they get married and have their own home.

How important are intergenerational dynamics and inequalities in Hong Kong young people’s decisions about leaving home?

It is important to explore shifting social, economic and political conditions rather than emphasizing the privileges of one generation compared to another. We need to look beyond shared features and subgroup differences and consider instead how sociocultural factors ‒ particularly gender, marriage, education and social norms ‒ interact with economic factors to shape housing choices. Then the viewpoints, aspirations and apparent contradictions of young people regarding their personal development and their housing futures will become clearer.

Professor Xian Shi, co-researcher and colleague of Professor Forrest, offers her insight in this interview about a central study¹ of housing for Hong Kong youth. Professor Xian is an Assistant Professor at the School of Geographical Sciences, Guangzhou University.

Professor Ray Forrest, formerly of Lingnan University, the University of Bristol and City University of Hong Kong, gave encouragement and help to Youth Hong Kong. In early 2020, we were very sad to learn that he had suddenly passed away. We would like to pay most grateful tribute to him for his advice and expertise in this article.

Read more ¹ Xian, S & Forrest, R. The post-80s generation: exploring the attitudes toward family and housing. Journal of Youth Studies, 2019. Analysis of the study was published last year and can be found in the above article. It focuses on data from the second part of a two-round of a survey that explored the impact on attitudes to housing of sociocultural factors, including age, gender, educational level, and social norms. The survey was part of a larger research project undertaken in Hong Kong in January 2013 and July 2014.