Privacy in the Family: Its Hierarchical and Asymmetric Nature

Abstract

This article examines the nature of privacy in the family. It provides an empirical illustration of privacy zonings within the private sphere of the family that is based on survey data from 4 I 4 Chinese residents in Hong Kong. The results of the analysis point to two main features in the respondents’ conception of privacy: first, the permeability of interpersonal boundaries shows a hierarchical pattern linked to the intimacy hierarchy between the individual and the other family members; second, the level of desire for privacy is different between counterparts in ‘dyad relationships, such as husband-wife, parent-child, brother-sister. Although differences do not occur across all privacy components, they appear to be connected to the asymmetric power structure in the traditional Chinese family.