This paper argues that“the fear of having two sons”is a gender structure phenom-enon that causes anxiety for some Chinese families.To prove the existence of such a fear in some families,this paper considers three as...This paper argues that“the fear of having two sons”is a gender structure phenom-enon that causes anxiety for some Chinese families.To prove the existence of such a fear in some families,this paper considers three aspects:the ideal gender structure of children,women’s childbearing plan for second children and their actual child-bearing behavior.Data for nine provinces is taken from the China Fertility Survey of 2017.This paper finds that:(1)except for having no children,2 sons and 0 daughters is the most undesired gender structure;(2)among those who expect 1 son and 1 daughter,women whose first child is a son are less likely to plan to have a second child than those whose first child is a daughter;(3)among those who expect 1 son and 1 daughter,women with a son as the first child are less likely to have a second child than those with a daughter.These findings prove that,at present,the phenom-enon of the fear of having two sons does exist in some Chinese families.Finally,this paper summarizes how the attitudes of Chinese families towards having sons have changed since the 1950s from“a hope for having many sons”to“a desire for at least one son”and finally to“the fear of having two sons.”The paper also discusses the significance of the fear of having two sons phenomenon in terms of improving the proximate determinants of low fertility model.展开更多
The relaxation of fertility policy in China makes it possible to observe and under-stand the patterns of childbearing behavior in low fertility settings.This paper takes Shanghai,a city with ultra-low fertility over t...The relaxation of fertility policy in China makes it possible to observe and under-stand the patterns of childbearing behavior in low fertility settings.This paper takes Shanghai,a city with ultra-low fertility over the long term,as an example to analyze families who have had a second child since the adjustment of China’s fertility policy.The paper reports the major results of a survey of couples with Shanghai house-hold registration(hukou)who have had a second child,and makes comparisons with other relevant survey.It seeks to answer the question"Who are the couples giving birth to second child?"The results show that most of the women who have had a second child after implementation of the Selective Two-child Policy in 2014 were born in the late 1970s and 1980s.Couples who had higher education levels and higher incomes,and in which the woman worked as a full-time housewife or worked in a less intense job with scheduling flexibility were more likely to have a second child.The ability of a couple to get help from their own parents for childcare,and the gender of the first child also affected the decision to have a second child.This study reveals that couples who have a second child tend to be those with better than average childcare resources.This suggests that formulating reasonable public poli-cies aimed at reducing the cost of childbearing and childrearing would be an effec-tive way to further release fertility potential.展开更多
文摘This paper argues that“the fear of having two sons”is a gender structure phenom-enon that causes anxiety for some Chinese families.To prove the existence of such a fear in some families,this paper considers three aspects:the ideal gender structure of children,women’s childbearing plan for second children and their actual child-bearing behavior.Data for nine provinces is taken from the China Fertility Survey of 2017.This paper finds that:(1)except for having no children,2 sons and 0 daughters is the most undesired gender structure;(2)among those who expect 1 son and 1 daughter,women whose first child is a son are less likely to plan to have a second child than those whose first child is a daughter;(3)among those who expect 1 son and 1 daughter,women with a son as the first child are less likely to have a second child than those with a daughter.These findings prove that,at present,the phenom-enon of the fear of having two sons does exist in some Chinese families.Finally,this paper summarizes how the attitudes of Chinese families towards having sons have changed since the 1950s from“a hope for having many sons”to“a desire for at least one son”and finally to“the fear of having two sons.”The paper also discusses the significance of the fear of having two sons phenomenon in terms of improving the proximate determinants of low fertility model.
基金supported by 2019 The National Social Sciences Fund of China(19CRK017):“Study on the new characteristics,causes,influences and trends of marriage behavior of residents in big cities of China”.
文摘The relaxation of fertility policy in China makes it possible to observe and under-stand the patterns of childbearing behavior in low fertility settings.This paper takes Shanghai,a city with ultra-low fertility over the long term,as an example to analyze families who have had a second child since the adjustment of China’s fertility policy.The paper reports the major results of a survey of couples with Shanghai house-hold registration(hukou)who have had a second child,and makes comparisons with other relevant survey.It seeks to answer the question"Who are the couples giving birth to second child?"The results show that most of the women who have had a second child after implementation of the Selective Two-child Policy in 2014 were born in the late 1970s and 1980s.Couples who had higher education levels and higher incomes,and in which the woman worked as a full-time housewife or worked in a less intense job with scheduling flexibility were more likely to have a second child.The ability of a couple to get help from their own parents for childcare,and the gender of the first child also affected the decision to have a second child.This study reveals that couples who have a second child tend to be those with better than average childcare resources.This suggests that formulating reasonable public poli-cies aimed at reducing the cost of childbearing and childrearing would be an effec-tive way to further release fertility potential.
