Paper short abstract:

Lack of state welfare provision in rural China makes the issue of social support a salient factor in marriage choices. Various structural inequalities compete with notions of "romantic love" when rural Chinese choose their marriage partners, making parents advance their children’s position in the ‘marriage market’ by supporting their education.

Paper long abstract:

Long Abstract:

For centuries marriage in China has been the central institution for creating alliances between families. Communist rule attacked and destroyed many aspects of patriarchal family organization (Davis 1993), inducing a power shift towards the conjugal bond consolidated during the reform period (Yan 2003). Yet, while "romantic love" certainly is relevant to spouse selection in contemporary rural China, lack of state welfare provision together with an increasing sense of uncertainty make the issue of social support a particularly salient factor in marriage choices. Unequal access to state welfare between population with rural and with urban household registration, as well as other kinds of spatial hierarchies reflecting differential socio-economic development, structure the 'traditionally' hypergamic orientation of the 'marriage market' and shape perceptions of status and power relations between actual and potential marriage partners. This paper analyses how various forms of structural inequalities caused by state policies in the field of population, education, and economic development compete with notions (and feelings) of "romantic love" when rural Chinese choose their marriage partners. Focusing on the situation of students and graduates from rural areas, the paper will draw particular attention to the role of parents in these private negotiations, analyzing parental efforts to try to advance their children's position in the 'marriage market' by supporting their education.