Rooted in the Earth, Rooted in the Community: The Meanings of Rural Dwellings Among Older Adults in Northern China

Yuanhong Ma (Harbin Institute of Technology)
Jung-hye Shin (University of Wisconsin-Madison)

China has experienced an unprecedented speed of urbanization, with younger Chinese moving to the cities while leaving the lion’s share of the older population in rural areas (Chen, 2017). While some older adults follow their adult children to urban settings, a sizable portion of rural older adults continue to hold on to their rural dwellings, which are characteristically single family detached houses with distinctive Kang floors (Yan 2005). This study examines the lived experiences of older adults who live in these rural dwellings in Northern China, in order to understand their sense of place and their attachment to it, by analyzing their narratives regarding their homes and communities. We specifically focus on how they utilize their residential spaces on a daily basis, the practical and symbolic meanings they attach to them, and the emotional bonds they have developed over their lifetimes.

We conducted qualitative in-depth interviews with ten Chinese older adults who live in rural dwellings in Heilongjiang Province, China. We analyzed interview narratives following guidelines set by the Glaserian Grounded Theory (GGT; Glaser 1992; Glaser and Strauss 1967) in order to allow a high level of flexibility and conceptualization.

The study identified core themes related to spatial components in rural dwellings that were essential in the everyday life of the older adults: (1) functional support for everyday practices; (2) rooted in community (familiarity, trust, and home as a place for socialization); (3) rooted on earth (direct earth/dwelling connection, multi-functional yards, the direction of the house and the road); (4) sense of self, which include sense of control, house as memory deposit, and emblem of inter-generational relations. Together, these themes demonstrate the multifaceted nature of human dwellings that are both universal and culturally specific. Policy and design implications are further discussed.