Agentic values, generational contract, and elderly provisions in Taiwan and Hong Kong

It is commonly believed that, in Chinese societies, respect for the elderly and communal values sustains a generational contract that benefits the older generation. Overt intergenerational conflict appears to be rare, though recent policy reforms have raised concerns about competing generational interests. Drawing on data from the sixth wave of the World Value Survey, we identified significant generational differences in values and in attitudes toward the elderly in Taiwan and Hong Kong. Agentic values are associated with more negative attitudes toward the elderly and have led to increased questioning of the distribution of resources to the elderly that may herald a weakening of the generational contract in both societies. We argue that the interests and concerns of the younger population must be adequately addressed. Upholding fairness in resource distribution, rather than simply appealing to traditional values, will provide a more solid groundwork to combat the increasing uncertainty in these two aging societies.