The Wedding Banquet: The Presentation of Social Capital in China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan

• In Event: 392 - Section on Asia and Asian America Roundtable Session (one-hour).
  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 04. Marriages, Markets, and Family

Abstract

This study examines how social capital comes to play in the Chinese wedding banquet. As a major life and family event, not only does the wedding banquet serve as a critical occasion to refresh and reaffirm the couple’s and family members’ personal networks, but it also helps showcase the social standing of the families in society, as reflected in the number and status of participants attending the banquet. Using compatible telephone survey data from China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan (N=4,222) that cover weddings spanning over 70 years, we compare basic components of the wedding banquet among the three Chinese societies, and examine one special group of participants who are critical to the event: the Master Witness. Usually searched through direct or indirect ties by the couple or family members, the Master Witness represents the highest-reached status in the social hierarchy through the families’ networks and, therefore, reflects the capability of the families’ social capital. We compare how the three Chinese societies vary in (1) the extent to which a Master Witness is present to anchor the banquet, (2) the number of the guests attending the banquet, (3) how the family members search for the Master Witness, and (4) how the social standing of the Master Witness and the number of banquet guests are associated with the couple’s current social capital. Despite similarities among the three societies that share a common cultural heritage, our study reveals some large societal differences and significant changes over the past half century.

Authors

• Yang-Chih Fu, Academia Sinica

• Nan Lin, Duke University

• Chih-Jou Jay Chen, Academia Sinica

• Gina Lai, Hong Kong Baptist University