中国农民生育需求的变化

Changes in Demand for Children of the Chinese Peasants

农村经济改革引起了中国农民生育需求发生了许多变化,以浙江省部分农村为例,随着妇女地位,尤其是年轻妇女的经济地位的提高,改变了人们对男孩的偏好,认识到在农村生产、生活和家庭养老中,女孩也同男孩一样发挥着重要作用。但是,在现实生活的需求发生变化的同时,人们精神生活的需求并没随着发生根本的变化,生男孩仍然是农民精神上的最大满足,这是近年来中国部分农村地区出生性别比偏高的根本原因。中国农民离“少生、晚生、生男生女都一样”的现代生育模式还有相当的距离,生育观念的现代化,既要求物质上的现代化,也要求精神上的现代化。

The rural economic reform has brought about a range of changes in demand for children of the Chinese peasants. This paper presents the findings from a survey in some rural areas of Zhejiang Province on the changes in fertility preference brought about by the improvement in rural women's status,and in recognition of the equal importance of the girls and boys in rural production and family support for the elderly. However, there is still a marked deviation from the moderm fertility pattern 'fewer and later births without sex preference'.