THE DISTRIBUTIVE NORM OF MONETARY SUPPORT TO OLDER PARENTS - A LOOK AT A TOWNSHIP IN CHINA

In this study, I propose to answer questions about the determinants of and variation in monetary support given to older parents by incorpora ting the approaches of reciprocity and gender difference and by identi fying a distributive norm in Chinese society. My analysis is based on a stratified, simple random sample of 200 noncoresidential families in Shandong Province, which is located along the east coast of the Peopl e's Republic of China. Multiple regression is used to determine the ex tent to which the derived by hypotheses account for the determinants o f and variation in intergenerational monetary support or the amount of this support. I conclude that the value of incorporating the norms of gender difference and reciprocity and placing them in a larger social context of the distributive norm of monetary support to older parents may supersede their worth when considered separately.