The 113th Wenlan Public Finance and Taxation Forum was successfully held on the morning of April 3 in Conference Room 603, North Wenquan Building. Professor Yuan Ye from the School of Economics at Peking University delivered an academic presentation titled Pension and Young Parents. Chaired by Professor Ma Yuanyuan, a researcher at the Center for International Cooperation and Disciplinary Innovation of Income Distribution and Public Finance, the event was attended by faculty members and graduate students from the School of Public Finance and Taxation.
Professor Yuan Ye began by outlining the research background. For generations, the concept of raising children for old-age support has been the primary parenting motivation in rural Chinese households. This traditional mindset has fostered an authoritarian, highly controlling parenting model that profoundly impacts the growth and development of rural children. However, the widespread adoption of the new rural social pension insurance scheme has partially replaced this function of raising children for old-age support. By reducing parents' reliance on their children for future care, the scheme shifts parenting motivations from paternalistic control toward more altruistic, respectful, and non-authoritarian approaches.
Research findings indicate that the scheme significantly encourages rural households to transition from authoritarian, controlling upbringing to more democratic, inclusive, and supportive parenting. These improved parenting practices further enhance children's cognitive performance, mental health, and non-cognitive skills, generating positive intergenerational spillover effects. These positive impacts are even more pronounced in regions with higher social mobility and lower inequality.
Professor Yuan Ye noted that the significance of social security policies extends far beyond income redistribution. By altering family expectations for old-age support and reshaping the educational ecosystem within rural households, the new rural social pension insurance scheme has a profound impact on the growth and development of the next generation. Optimizing the social security system not only enhances the well-being of the elderly but also promotes educational equity and human capital development by improving the family child-rearing environment. This carries significant policy implications and practical relevance.
During the presentation, faculty and students engaged in in-depth discussions with Professor Yuan Ye on how pension policies influence parenting behaviors. The active interaction provided attendees with substantial insights.
To conclude, Professor Ma Yuanyuan briefly summarized the forum and expressed sincere gratitude to Professor Yuan Ye for his insightful presentation. The successful academic forum further deepened participants' understanding of the relationship between social security policies and family education, fostered academic exchange, and cultivated a vibrant scholarly atmosphere.
(Correspondent: Liao Meng; Photographer: Feng Jiaqi)