Researching filial piety
Finding the sweet spot within the caregiving relationship between South / East asian children and their immigrant parents
My Role
UX Researcher, Graphic Designer Illustrator, & book binder
Timeline
11 weeks
Team Members
Chloe Chen & Elisha jon
The context
Within east asian immigrant households children are expected to demonstrate a core confucian value of supporting their parents known as filial piety
Secondary research
After reading 29 articles, I provided a series of workshops for my team to create cohesive synthesis such as how to craft our research question
Secondary findings
We scoped out trends found in post 2021 research to craft a relevant research question
Cultural dissimilarities weaken parent-child bonds.
Research Question
How do Confucian ideals of filial piety influence modern expectations of caregiving in Asian-American immigrant families, especially when balancing traditional values with new cultural influences and independency?
Research methods
We decided to conduct semi structured interviews, diary studies, and photo studies
We interviewed 9 participants, evaluated 3 diary studies, and recieved photo studies from 4 participants during the primary research process
I organized our methods into a Field Study Guide
I took a messy google doc and synced our goals and aspirations into a clean study guide using Illustrator
Participant Selection Criteria
Our 9 participants were immigrant parents and emerging adult children 18-25 years of age
These parents came from countries that actively practice filial piety and the children were old enough to just begin navigating independency while also helping their parents. I illustrated the participants below
Surprising results
Based on my own background growing up in an italian family, I noticed an interesting and familiar dynamic with food
I pointed out that children were sending photos of their cooking in order to gain daily affirmation from their parents and prove their independency. This was also a non-confrontational and low pressure form of communication
Sampling of Primary insights
Mundane, non-confrontational mediums of conversation are preferred
Children and parents communicate often in low pressure mediums such as text and sending photos of food and pets
In person gestures fill the language gap and bridge cultural differences
In person interactions help the parent and child understand one another and bond more closely
Lack of cultural relatability hinders how the parent and child understand one another
Due to the parent and child growing up in different cultures, they struggle to understand one another’s perspective which causes friction in the relationship
Email me for more insights
"They don’t know anything about my [efforts].I did a lot of work but they don’t know... They don’t know because we never communicate."
— Child
“I want to be there for them. Give back from the days they spent raising me.”
— Child
"(My child and I) ‘keep a bowl of soup away’."
— Parent
“I often ask my family for help, and it makes me feel uneasy...to make up for the guilt I try to give extra compliments to them”
— Child
Design principles
Our principles needed to address the deeply emotional parent and child connection as well as aid both parties in caring for each other
Design ideation
We conducted workshops with 6 participants relating to the 15 ideas that were created that ranged from realistic, ambigious, to even dystopian
These were the top picks—even though controversial between parents and children
Workshop takeaways
Most children and parents prefered the non-confrontational ideas
They liked “low pressure” communication and enjoyed it when affirmation could be easily communicated
Children would rather provide care themselves
They did not like clones and other tech replacing their responsibility because they find fullfillment in giving back to their parents
Parental requests need to be addressed ASAP
When they reach out for help it’s usually for a time sensitive issue
I designed the overall style and bound the booklet
Our team was inspired by colors that resembled the home so I went for vibrant plaids and reds that accented a home cooked meal
My reflection
More aware of my own societal norms and expectations
I had a lot of time to reflect on my own societal norms and how I can give back to my own parents intentionally as an only child
The best insights are found when being open and authentic
If my team and I hadn’t been open and authentic to one another, we would not have discovered our insights on food and emotional connection
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