Marriage
Like all cultures, China has its own ritual when it comes to marriage. As many of us know, China has a regulation of one child per house hold with a preference of males. As China’s population grows, it will soon show that there are not enough women to satisfy the number of males, making the “field of eligibles” that much smaller, there by making the playing field that much more competitive. There are many Chinese people that do not follow the customs of the old ways, but there are still some to this day that follow laws that were set in place back in the 1800's.
Arranged marriages is a custom that has been in place since the Ancient era of China. Although the custom has altered since the Ancient Era, the ties are still there. One reason for arranged marriages was that the parents felt that they knew their child well enough to pick a good match, but also so their child was not blinded by their emotions. An example of this would be the “Love Market”. (Xiao Jia, G. (2006) There is a square in Beijing and every Sunday parents look for a match for their child. They exchange photos, work information, education information, and what animal sign their child is. The animal sign gives the parents a good idea if the couple will be a good match. With the “field of eligibles” so small, the parents of the young women face a challenge in finding a good match. They are looking for a “Diamond Bachelor”, a man who is perfect. The demand of a “Diamond Bachelor” is high, so they are not likely to be on the market for very long. (Xiao Jia, G. (2006) There is a large struggle with the newest generation of Chinese and the love market. The parents, who grew up with the customs of the old China, are trying to pass those customs on to their child, who is struggling in the present China.
(Xiao Jia, G. (2006)
(Coale, A. J. (1989).
Even though the struggle is real, customs aren't as strict as they used to be. The young of China have found their voices to choose who they want to spend their life with. An article written by Harrell, D., & Joint Committee on Chinese Studies, U.S., included surveys and average ages for the young of China. One survey was done in the district of Wuhan. This survey showed the percentage of the young who relied on their parents and those who didn't. This survey showed that of the 970 young; it found that 21 percent had made the decision all on their own. A solid 63 percent looked to their parents for their opinion, but still made the decision themselves. 10 percent of the young, let the parents arrange a marriage, but the young had to agree with the choice. And low 2 percent let the parents arrange the marriage and had no say in anything. A very large reason in which the young still value their parent’s opinion is because they still rely on them financially. Also according to the article, the age of marriage is young, with the average age of 23 years old for females, 25 years old for males, with 100% of females being married by the age of 30, the couple doesn't have the money to pay for the marriage, therefore they look to the parents for help. Another survey from the articles was done in Tianjin. This survey found that over 80 percent of young couples relied on their parents to pay for the wedding. A small 16 percent of marriages occurred without the finances of their parents. (Harrell, D., & Joint Committee on Chinese Studies, U.S.). (1993)
Arranged marriages is a custom that has been in place since the Ancient era of China. Although the custom has altered since the Ancient Era, the ties are still there. One reason for arranged marriages was that the parents felt that they knew their child well enough to pick a good match, but also so their child was not blinded by their emotions. An example of this would be the “Love Market”. (Xiao Jia, G. (2006) There is a square in Beijing and every Sunday parents look for a match for their child. They exchange photos, work information, education information, and what animal sign their child is. The animal sign gives the parents a good idea if the couple will be a good match. With the “field of eligibles” so small, the parents of the young women face a challenge in finding a good match. They are looking for a “Diamond Bachelor”, a man who is perfect. The demand of a “Diamond Bachelor” is high, so they are not likely to be on the market for very long. (Xiao Jia, G. (2006) There is a large struggle with the newest generation of Chinese and the love market. The parents, who grew up with the customs of the old China, are trying to pass those customs on to their child, who is struggling in the present China.
(Xiao Jia, G. (2006)
(Coale, A. J. (1989).
Even though the struggle is real, customs aren't as strict as they used to be. The young of China have found their voices to choose who they want to spend their life with. An article written by Harrell, D., & Joint Committee on Chinese Studies, U.S., included surveys and average ages for the young of China. One survey was done in the district of Wuhan. This survey showed the percentage of the young who relied on their parents and those who didn't. This survey showed that of the 970 young; it found that 21 percent had made the decision all on their own. A solid 63 percent looked to their parents for their opinion, but still made the decision themselves. 10 percent of the young, let the parents arrange a marriage, but the young had to agree with the choice. And low 2 percent let the parents arrange the marriage and had no say in anything. A very large reason in which the young still value their parent’s opinion is because they still rely on them financially. Also according to the article, the age of marriage is young, with the average age of 23 years old for females, 25 years old for males, with 100% of females being married by the age of 30, the couple doesn't have the money to pay for the marriage, therefore they look to the parents for help. Another survey from the articles was done in Tianjin. This survey found that over 80 percent of young couples relied on their parents to pay for the wedding. A small 16 percent of marriages occurred without the finances of their parents. (Harrell, D., & Joint Committee on Chinese Studies, U.S.). (1993)
Gay Marriage in China
Like the rest of the world, the gays in China are fighting for their marriage right. The video below shows the reaction of the Chinese to the equality changes in England.
References
Coale, A. J. (1989). Marriage and Childbearing in China Since 1940. Social Forces, 67(4), 833.
Xiao Jia, G. (2006). China's love market. New Statesman, 135(4796), 36-38.
Harrell, S., Davis, D., & Joint Committee on Chinese Studies, (. (U.S.). (1993). Chinese Families in the Post-Mao Era. Berkeley: University of California Press.
Videos obtained from YouTube.
Xiao Jia, G. (2006). China's love market. New Statesman, 135(4796), 36-38.
Harrell, S., Davis, D., & Joint Committee on Chinese Studies, (. (U.S.). (1993). Chinese Families in the Post-Mao Era. Berkeley: University of California Press.
Videos obtained from YouTube.