Children’s Experiences of Their Parents’ Marital Dissolution in the Chinese Context

Abstract

This research study aims to explore how the children themselves, in the Chinese context, perceive, understand and also experience their parents’ marital dissolution. General landscape about their lived experiences in this regard will be illustrated. And particular focus will be given to the children’s understanding of post-divorced family and family networks. In addition, it also highlights children’s dynamic construction of caring and support relationship with other family members, especially their mothers and non-resident fathers. In the process of going in depth into these research focus, children’s agency as competent, constructive and responsible actors within the context of family change are obviously identified. All these in the end refresh my mind with renewed recognition of their unique ideas and experiences in the process of family transformation, such as the occurrence of marital dissolution.