Gender, family, and intergenerational transmission of traumatisation

Abstract

China is a fast-developing country and at the same time a country where traditions play an important role. The society is also marked by centuries of upheavals that have affected individuals and families. The recent growth has brought millions of people out of poverty and increased possibilities for young people and families, but this development has also brought new tensions and conflicts affecting individuals and families. Ingrained in Chinese society and culture is a system which specifies implicit rules and patterns of rules, obligations, and responsibilities on social relations between men and women and between generations. Generally, family interests are more important than that of the individuals, and when the two are in conflict with each other, the family interests win. This article focuses on how the complex sociocultural situation affects individuals and families and how this manifest itself in the clinical situation. The aim is to highlight some aspects of the reality met in clinical encounters in China and to argue for an openness about how context always plays a role both in clinical and theoretical work.