The role of global culture and values in regard to the family life cycle in Hong Kong with specific regard to young adults' perceptions of marriage, parenthood and family responsibility in late modernity

Globalization is changing the traditional models of family and family interaction. Considerable social, economic and demographic changes have taken place in advanced societies, leading to wide-ranging changes in the family. In Hong Kong, young people’s perception on family seems changing rapidly as well. This study attempts to explore and examine the possible effects of global culture and values on local Chinese cultural heritage with specific regard to young adults’ perceptions on marriage, parenthood and family obligation in the global world of late modernity where conditions of risks and uncertainties require careful illumination. The emphasis is upon the ways in which local Chinese culture responds to globalization from the perspective of family developmental theory and eco-systemic approach. The research is a cross-sectional multi-methods exploration of attitudes held by young people about family building in Hong Kong, utilizing focus groups, survey and individual interviews as the key research techniques. It adopts non-probability sampling in the three stages of the research that includes a mix of purposive and snowball sampling in six focus groups; quota sampling in a survey with 1132 young people being interviewed and purposive sampling in semi-structured interviews. The findings suggest that in Hong Kong society, traditional Chinese moral values are still emphasized and endorsed, but it is observed that some western global values have begun to take root and these values might, according to the findings, be increasingly represented within the Hong Kong young people’s values systems. Today young people experience challenges and changes in family-related roles and personal lifestyles. Complete transition to adulthood has been delayed with increased dependence on parents. The consequences of this for Hong Kong family life remains however an unfolding story. In addition, this study examines various constraints to family building and implications for new policy and programme responses are discussed as well