The world is not a homogeneous place. However, many people do not understand that because they do not travel. The old saying, 'When in Rome ...' is so true, but unfortunately, Rome is in Europe and is a modern country in the western industrialized world. A more appropriate saying would be, 'When in Asia ...' After all, most of the world's population lives in Asia, not Europe, not North America, and not Australia or New Zealand.
Asia still has an extended family paradigm that is missing in western countries. In western countries, each generation is expected to stand on its own, but that may be changing somewhat with the economics and boomerang children. In my generation, we left the family unit that raised us in our late teens and only 'losers' lived with their parents. But, the economics provided for each successive generation to be better off economically than the previous generation. I personally believes those days are over for most of the latest generation.
In Asia, children are seen as an investment in the parents' old age. Think RIFF or RRSP. Children are expected to look after their aging parents in lieu of retirement savings or old age security plans. This often means the house stays in the family after the parents die and becomes a security blanket. I have mentioned before that Thais spend more on their vehicles than their housing. The belief that children owe their parents is reinforced strongly in the Thai school system.
In western societies, parents have children when they can financially raise them to be fully independent adults. The parents put their lives on hold for the next 20 years until they can finally say, it's done, I did my best, you are on your own. It is like when birds push the baby birds out of the nest to make them fly. However, parents still feel responsible for the children they brought into this world and often help them with down payments on their first house, or help with other major purchases. The children do not feel responsible for the parents and hence the 'old folks' homes and residences throughout the western world.
Two different world views of raising children, but what I observe is that both ends are working towards a middle that will be similar. It all has to do with economics as Asia rises and western societies fall in global economics. Hence, the futility of the rise of economic migrants and their push to enter the western societies that are ill equipped to handle the influx, now and in the future.
I think it is a good time to be a young adult in Asia and perhaps not such a good time in the western societies, especially if you are a male. The best thing a parent can do is educate their children to the fullest extent that economics and children's aptitudes permit. The one thing in life you can't lose is your education. That and I think, teaching your children to be competitive in a global economy is key.
As for the latest generation of children, they will have to suck it up and compete and it would serve them well to learn about the dirty thirties and realize nobody owes them and parents will have to live with the fact that their children do not owe them. Location in the world or in a particular society is now becoming irrelevant.
TTYL
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