在臺灣這個以系繼承為特色的社會中，儘管老年父母與已婚女兒同住一直是個長期穩定存在的事實，卻因所占比率太低而鮮少引起研究者的重視，更遑論能注意到華人社會驗的差異。然而，調查結果顯示，臺灣與上海雖然都受到傳統儒家文化的影響，但兩岸分治所衍生的社經、人口結構差異，卻已使上海地區老年父母居住安排呈現出不同於臺灣的樣貌。其中，最明顯的差異來自於上海父母與已婚女兒同住現象遠比臺灣普遍。有鑑於兩岸的迴異發展，本文以1995及1999年於臺灣、上海兩地所進行的九場焦點團體訪談為分析素材，由一般人可何看待老年父母與已婚女兒同住這個問題切入討論，除了探究上海從女居現象盛行的原因外，也嘗試瞭解臺灣與上海民眾由此議題所透露的性別意涵。研究發現，在臺灣，父母與已婚女兒同住仍處於需要多方抗壓的階段。不過，多數人在概念上都已預留父系居住原則可以在非常態情境下被打破的彈性。只是，父權規範之所以一直預留被打破的空間，是因為危及家庭生存，而非性因薏識的進展。至於上海從女居現象的發展似乎也和性因薏識沒有太多的關聯，而是經濟情勢、人口結構與國家政策的偶合所致。上海農村高比率從女居來自於僅生育女兒之父母必須仰賴和女兒同住以終老，城市地區則是由於住房短缺而需要寄住在女方家庭。只是，父權文化雖允許上海父母因應現實與已婚女兒同住，卻不穠示父系原則可以無條件被打破，例如上海農家採用招女婿式來因應需求，本質仍鞏固了父權。因此，兩岸從女居現象在比率上雖有明顯的表面差異，但本質上卻是相同的-這仍是家庭生存問題，較少被當成性別問題思考。

　　　　　Most researchers have made an effort to explain the normality and find out the typical rule in society. Living with married daughters has been aberrant in the patriarchal culture. Therefore, the issue is still under-explored, let alone alone a comparative study in this case n Taiwan and China. A few empirical studies in Taiwan and Shanghai show that different political systems and their concomitant structural circumstances have produced diverse living arrangements of elderly parents. Living with married daughters is more popular in Shanghai than in Taiwan now. Using qualitative data gathered from interviews of 9 focus groups conducted in 1995(Taiwan) and 1999(Shanghai), this paper examines the attitude towards living with married daughters in these two Chinese societies. It is concluded that co-residence of elderly parents with married daughters in Taiwan is not supported by cultural values up until now, but most people do not reject the idea absolutely. However, the deviation from patrilocality has less to do with gender consciousness, because living with married daughters is allowed only under unusual circumstance, such as at the absence of a son in the wife’s family. In this sense, patriarchy is affirmed rather than challenged. Gender cnsciousness cannot sufficiently explain the increasing rate of co-residence with married daughters in Shanghai, either. In rural Shanghai, parents live with married daughters because they need children’s financial support in the old age and have no sons to live with. In order to gain social recognition for co-residence with married daughters and sons-in-law, the parents in rural Shanghai engage in a special marriage practice “zhao nu xu(招女婿).”. Patriarchy is protected from being completely overthrown by this arrangement.