LOGO Suowei Xiao Assistant Professor School of Social Development and Public Policy Beijing Normal University Chinese Society of Transition 1

Lecture Outline What is societal transition? Social transition in China: traditional society – socialism – market-oriented reform –Traditional Chinese society (pre-1949) –Socialist period ( ) –Market reform (1979-present) Understanding societal transition in China through the lens of gender and family relations 2

Societal Transition The fundamental societal transition: from a traditional society to a modern society In western countries, modernization is driven by capitalism and industrial revolution The change is not only about technological advancement and economic progress, but also concerns transformation in social structure, societal culture, people’s mentality, etc. 3

Transitional trajectory of Chinese Society Traditional society  Socialism  Market-oriented reform 4

Traditional China (pre-1949) Agriculture is the main source of economy The majority of the population is composed of peasants They live in rural villages, sharing similar life style and values Centralized imperial power and local authority Social stratification: official-peasant-artisan-merchant 5

Socialist Transition ( ) Industrialization and socialist modernization Command economy –Rural: the commune system – collectivization of land, collective farming –Urban: public ownership of enterprises, state allocation of jobs, work-unit system Household registration system –restrict migration – the urban-rural divide Status groups: cadre-worker-peasant Government-society relationship: strong state encompassing the society 6

Market-oriented Transition ( ) Market-oriented economic reform –De-collectivization of communal land –Downsizing and privatization of state-owned enterprises –Emergence of the private sector Open-door policy –Absorb foreign investment –Export-driven economy –Emerging into the global market and society 7

Critical social issues in contemporary China Large-scale rural-to-urban migration –Over 200 million of migrant workers in China today Social inequality –Serious income inequality 8

“Family” in Traditional Chinese society Extended family –“four generations living under the same roof” The centrality of the father-son bond –The father-son bond is stronger than the husband-wife bond Family was regarded as a collaborative unit, rather than an affective unit –Each member fulfills its role for the common course of the family –The affection between the couple is not emphasized, even downplayed 9

The patriarchal traditional family Patrilinear Patrilocal Patriarchal –Women were confined to the domestic sphere –Deferring to male authority as women’s virtue Concubinage 10

Traditional Chinese women with bound feet 11

Socialist period: State Feminism State effort in engaging women in economic, social and political life –Equal rights of education, employment and political participation by law –State allocation of jobs to both men and women –Outlaw prostitution and trafficking of women and children; prohibit foot- binding and other practices that are harmful to women’s well-being 12

Revolution of the Family 1950 Marriage Law –abolishing concubinage and arranged marriage; –monogamy becoming the only legal form of marriage State intervention in family affairs –Housing allocation through the work unit –State as matchmaker and intermediate of family affairs –Public facilities of child care The nuclearization of family 13

Achievements of State Feminism Women’s status in the public sphere has been significantly improved High rate of women’s participation in the labor force – In the early 1980s, over 80% of urban women between held paid jobs Work has become an important component of women’s identity 14

Socialist Female Icons: “Iron Girls” 15

Problems of State Feminism Unequal practices –Women were more likely to be allocated to non-technical, service and auxiliary jobs while men were given technical and managerial positions Devaluation of domestic labor –Women’s double burden Gender equality  Gender Sameness  Masculinize Women 16

The era of market reform Emergence of essentialized notions of gender Revival of traditional notions of “virtuous wife and good mother ” 17

Female Icons of the Reform Era 18

Gender and Work Job market replace job allocation – individuals have more freedom to choose jobs Worsened gender inequality in employment and compensation –Gender and age discrimination in employment –Sex segregation in ownership sector, occupation and industry 19

Urban Employment Source: The 2 nd National Survey of Women’s Social Status, 2000

Gender Penalty in income, urban China Source: Philip Cohen and Wang Feng (2008)

Courtship and Marriage Marriage increasingly comes to be a private matter –Individual choice + Parental approval The changing criterion for mate selection Pre-marital dating and courtship become more popular Divorce rate is on the rise 22

Choosing Husband by Herself 23 Source: The 2 nd National Survey of Women’s Social Status, 2000

Criterion for Mate Selection (Shenzhen and Ha’erbin) PoliticalFamily Background Personal Political Status SocialEducation Occupation PhysicalAge Health condition Body shape Appearance EconomicHousing Income PersonalityHonesty and Reliability Consideration Capability Maturity Sense of Humor CompatibilityTemper Habits

Divorce ( ) 25 Source: Deborah Davis, unpublished book chapter

Family Nuclear family becomes the mainstream –Intergenerational ties remain relatively strong The trend of minimizing family size –DINK (Double Income No Kids) family –Single parent family –Single-person family Family planning policy –“Single child” policy initiated in the late 1970s –Since mid-1980s, “1.5 children” have been allowed for peasant families 26

Skewed Sex Ratio at Birth 27 YearSex Ratio at Birth (male/100 female) Source: Zhang Yi 1997 and Statistic Year Books

LOGO Questions? 28