Are Economic Foundations of Marriage Shifting in China? Evidence in a Socialist Context

Wei-Jun Jean Yeung, National University of Singapore
Yingchun Ji, National University of Singapore

Much research has shown that the relationship between women’s economic prospects and marriage formation has shifted from negative to positive in western societies. Theoretical framework used to explain the phenomena has shifted from Gary Becker’s gender specialization model to V. K. Oppenheimer’s mate searching theory. We investigate circumstances in China where men and women’s roles in family and labor market have undergone significant changes. We draw data from the 2006 and 2008 Chinese General Social Survey. Our findings show educational attainment delays women’s marriage formation, but has mixed effects for men across cohorts. However, occupation has negative effects on both men’s and women’s marriage formation. These patterns need to be explained in the unique Chinese socioeconomic and cultural contexts. Neither Backer nor Oppenheimer model are adequate in explaining how economic capacity affects men and women’s marriage behavior differently in China. Contextually relevant theories and hypotheses should be developed.