Marriage and Family in China

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Marriage and Family in China
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Marriage Law of 1950

• The very first law promulgated by the Peoples
  Republic of China (1949 - )
• abolished arranged marriage
• abolished polygamy
• right to divorce
• 214,000 cases of divorce in 1986
• 1,665,000 cases of divorce in 2004

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Maoist era (1949 1976)

• penetration of state into society
• sweeping mass campaigns

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Maoist era (1949 1976)

• transformation of feudal social customs
• establish new loyalty to Mao and to CCP

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Socialist New Man

• communist ideals
• socialist moral
• culture and education
• discipline

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Socialist New Man

• serve the people
• Lei Feng (1940 1962)

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Socialist New Customs
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Women hold up half the sky
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Women hold up half the sky
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post-Mao era (1977 present)

• gradual retreat of the state from society and
  family
• except in implementing family planning policy
• change in values
• materialism and individualism
• Western influence
• revival of traditions

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population pressure
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family planning policy

• Family planning promotes economic development!

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family planning policy

• Its good to have only one child!

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family planning policy

• Its a basic state policy!

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family planning policy

• Girls are as good as boys!

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materialism
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A 1999 survey of rural youth

• 3 factors in choosing a spouse
• congenial to each other (49.8)
• smart and capable (49.2)
• education level (37.9)
• gentle and considerate (32.9)
• honest and reliable (28.6)
• health (28)

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A survey in Nanjing in 2006

• When choosing a spouse do you consider whether
  s/he has housing? (83 yes)
• Who should provide the housing?
• both 55 husband 44 wife 1
• 18 would marry even without housing
• What role do your parents play?
• parents will decide 4

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Where did Lei Feng go?

• serve the people?
• results from surveys on university campuses

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Western influence
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a survey of urban youth in 1998

• Which regions music do you like most?
• Hong Kong 63.5
• mainland China 60.8
• U.S.A. 36.9
• Taiwan 29.0
• Japan 19.5
• India 12.8

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a survey of urban youth in 1998

• Which regions movies and TV programs do you like
  most?
• Hong Kong 71.7
• U.S.A. 62.4
• mainland China 41.0
• Taiwan 19.9
• Japan 19.7

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rise of the individual

• pre-Mao era
• loyalty to family, father, and ancestors
• Maoist era
• new loyalty to socialist collectives
• new loyalty to the Party and Mao
• post-Mao era
• state loosens control of private life