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Gender Attitudes among “Involuntary” Bachelors and Married Men in Disadvantaged and High Sex Ratio Settings : - A Study in Rural Shaanxi, China

Attané, Isabelle ; Eklund, Lisa LU and Zhang, Qunlin (2018) In Asian Women 34(3). p.1-28
Abstract
Compared to class relations, gender relations in high sex ratio contexts are understudied. Drawing on data from a survey conducted in rural southern Shaanxi, China, in 2014–2015, this article aims to assess if the section of the never-married male population who wishes to marry but face difficulties in achieving this goal is more or less gender equal in their attitudes than married men and, if so, in what aspects. Results provide further evidence that the role of the husband as the main economic support of the family and that of the wife, centered on the domestic sphere, remain firmly rooted in attitudes. However, the same results indicate that men who are squeezed out of marriage are not only the least endowed in socioeconomic capital but... (More)
Compared to class relations, gender relations in high sex ratio contexts are understudied. Drawing on data from a survey conducted in rural southern Shaanxi, China, in 2014–2015, this article aims to assess if the section of the never-married male population who wishes to marry but face difficulties in achieving this goal is more or less gender equal in their attitudes than married men and, if so, in what aspects. Results provide further evidence that the role of the husband as the main economic support of the family and that of the wife, centered on the domestic sphere, remain firmly rooted in attitudes. However, the same results indicate that men who are squeezed out of marriage are not only the least endowed in socioeconomic capital but are also more likely than married men to confine women to their roles as wives and mothers; the “involuntary” bachelors report more conservative gender attitudes than their married counterparts mainly because they are less educated, more conservative with respect to other norms, and not exposed to marital life. All things being equal, marriage tends to make men more gender equal. In parallel, the involuntary bachelors make more demands on women’s economic contribution to the household; this sheds light on the stratifying effect of marriage as the marriage-squeezed men seek to escape poverty through marriage. (Less)
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author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Rural China, Sex ratio, Bachelorhood, Gender attitudes, Gender roles
in
Asian Women
volume
34
issue
3
pages
28 pages
publisher
Sookmyung Women's University
external identifiers
  • scopus:85055582741
ISSN
1225-925X
DOI
10.14431/aw.2018.09.34.3.1
project
DefiChine
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
b19b4803-ffe1-425a-bddb-b2c0775259d2
date added to LUP
2018-10-23 10:32:13
date last changed
2022-07-06 13:13:25
@article{b19b4803-ffe1-425a-bddb-b2c0775259d2,
  abstract     = {{Compared to class relations, gender relations in high sex ratio contexts are understudied. Drawing on data from a survey conducted in rural southern Shaanxi, China, in 2014–2015, this article aims to assess if the section of the never-married male population who wishes to marry but face difficulties in achieving this goal is more or less gender equal in their attitudes than married men and, if so, in what aspects. Results provide further evidence that the role of the husband as the main economic support of the family and that of the wife, centered on the domestic sphere, remain firmly rooted in attitudes. However, the same results indicate that men who are squeezed out of marriage are not only the least endowed in socioeconomic capital but are also more likely than married men to confine women to their roles as wives and mothers; the “involuntary” bachelors report more conservative gender attitudes than their married counterparts mainly because they are less educated, more conservative with respect to other norms, and not exposed to marital life. All things being equal, marriage tends to make men more gender equal. In parallel, the involuntary bachelors make more demands on women’s economic contribution to the household; this sheds light on the stratifying effect of marriage as the marriage-squeezed men seek to escape poverty through marriage.}},
  author       = {{Attané, Isabelle and Eklund, Lisa and Zhang, Qunlin}},
  issn         = {{1225-925X}},
  keywords     = {{Rural China; Sex ratio; Bachelorhood; Gender attitudes; Gender roles}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{1--28}},
  publisher    = {{Sookmyung Women's University}},
  series       = {{Asian Women}},
  title        = {{Gender Attitudes among “Involuntary” Bachelors and Married Men in Disadvantaged and High Sex Ratio Settings : - A Study in Rural Shaanxi, China}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.14431/aw.2018.09.34.3.1}},
  doi          = {{10.14431/aw.2018.09.34.3.1}},
  volume       = {{34}},
  year         = {{2018}},
}