Enhancing expectations of well-being in old age in rural China through polycentric spontaneous order: mixed-methods research from the perspective of family culture and filial piety

Abstract This study investigates strategies to bolster the expectations of well-being (EWB) among older adults in rural China by delving into a polycentric spontaneous order as it pertains to family culture and filial piety. Mixed-methods research (MMR) was devised to fulfill the research objectives, encompassing social network analysis (SNA), natural experiment, and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA). Empirical studies have revealed that the FCr family culture is instrumental in attaining elevated EWB among older adults, while the influence of filial piety appears to be more incidental. The study advocates for elevating the prominence of the FCr family culture in rural China and fostering an emergent social culture capable of supplementing the traditional emphasis on filial piety. Such a shift could give rise to a polycentric system characterized by micro-nested psychological accounts, thereby organically enhancing the EWB experienced in old age through the path dependence originating from cultural factors. This investigation addresses a gap in the current literature regarding the enhancement of EWB in old age within rural settings through the application of a polycentric spontaneous order. Moreover, the MMR methodology presented herein represents a substantial exploration and offers pioneering insights.