About this Research Topic
A concept 'filial piety' is used to identify a set of norms, values and practices regarding how children should behave toward their parents. The construct is important for cultures where a family is regarded as an important basic unit of social relationships. Filial piety emphasizes children’s life-long reciprocation of the love and care of their parents based on gratitude, moral righteousness and/or affection. The construct permeates and influences multiple aspects of intergenerational relationships such as parenting, school adjustment, moral development and socialization, reproduction and childbearing, and even elderly caregiving. Although it is rooted in Confucian psychology and tradition, the concept of filial piety can also be found in other Philo-religious contexts, with significant similarities and differences in its definition, implementation and appraisals.
Despite the theoretical discussion over its origin, historical development and social significance in the fields of philosophy, ethics, history, literature and pedagogy, psychologists do not seem to have many conclusions over what defines filial piety, how it is assessed, and its impact on different relationships in the distinctive socio-cultural contexts. Such a lack of consolidation of empirical research on filial piety in different societies prompts us to propose this Research Topic to collect current research on this concept.
The scope of the contributions may include, but are not limited to：
(1) developmental characteristics of piety in different societies,
(2) factors influencing filial piety in distinctive interpersonal and/or socio-cultural contexts,
(3) functions of filial piety on physical, psychological and social adjustment in different populations, and
(4) methods to improve expression and communication of gratitude in intergenerational relationships.
We welcome submissions of reviews, original research, hypothesis and theory and perspective papers that examine filial piety in a specific cultural context or compare how this concept is interpreted or positioned in different cultures.
Despite the theoretical discussion over its origin, historical development and social significance in the fields of philosophy, ethics, history, literature and pedagogy, psychologists do not seem to have many conclusions over what defines filial piety, how it is assessed, and its impact on different relationships in the distinctive socio-cultural contexts. Such a lack of consolidation of empirical research on filial piety in different societies prompts us to propose this Research Topic to collect current research on this concept.
The scope of the contributions may include, but are not limited to：
(1) developmental characteristics of piety in different societies,
(2) factors influencing filial piety in distinctive interpersonal and/or socio-cultural contexts,
(3) functions of filial piety on physical, psychological and social adjustment in different populations, and
(4) methods to improve expression and communication of gratitude in intergenerational relationships.
We welcome submissions of reviews, original research, hypothesis and theory and perspective papers that examine filial piety in a specific cultural context or compare how this concept is interpreted or positioned in different cultures.
Keywords: filial piety, gratitude, development characteristic, affecting factors, functions of filial piety
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
