ATTITUDES TOWARD CARING FOR AGING PARENTS - A COMPARISON OF LAOTIAN AND US STUDENTS

This study examined the effect of culture on attitudes toward Pial obl igations. The instrument used to measure Pial responsibility comprised five dimensions of intergenerational solidarity: normative, functiona l, affectional, consensual, and structural. Results of a survey of 60 Laotian refugee high school students and 60 American high school stude nts support the role of culture as an important factor in shaping perc eptions of filial obligations toward aging parents. Laotian refugee st udents scored significantly higher on the dimensions of normative, fun ctional, and structural solidarity. It is concluded that many of the s ame forces that motivate children in nonindustrial societies to look a fter their aging parents are likely to continue among the Laotian refu gee subculture in the United States.