Perspectives on family health, happiness and harmony (3H) among Hong Kong Chinese people: a qualitative study.
Family harmony, an important Confucian ideal in Chinese society is believed to determine family happiness and therefore health, but is this accurate? This is a qualitative study of 41 Hong Kong Chinese family members. Individual recorded interviews were thematically analysed describing perceived interactions between harmony, happiness and health. Family harmony comprised four components: communication, mutual respect, lack of conflict and family time [notably 'Gou tong' (in Cantonese )-opportunity and willingness to spend time together-requiring good interpersonal communication, emphasized by female respondents]. Lack of conflict was emphasized, while diverse values, parenting styles and financial difficulties were common causes of conflict. Respect required reciprocity. Family happiness comprised four elements: family harmony, an important pre-requisite; mutual caring and supportive orientation; sense of security emphasizing financial security in middle-class versus sense of togetherness in lower social class groups and contentment. Healthy families were harmonious; 'typical' (children/two-parent/two-grandparent); happy; caring and respectful, with individual health and healthy behaviours. Family harmony, happiness and health are interrelated and built on a communicative, respectful, caring and contented set of attitudes, in particular allowing for family time. Harmony is apparently a core element of good family functioning.
School of Public Health, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
W W T
WW
Lam
R
R
Fielding
I
I
McDowell
J
J
Johnston
Sophia
S
Chan
G M
GM
Leung
T H
TH
Lam
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D044466:Asian People / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D005192:Family Health / Q000208:ethnology*; D005195:Family Relations; D005260:Female; D006240:Happiness; D006723:Hong Kong; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D036301:Qualitative Research; D055815:Young Adult