Is Marriage Also a Greedy Institution on Social Life in China?

• In Event: 3181 - Section on Asia and Asian America Refereed Roundtable Session
  In Refereed Roundtable 100min: Table 01. Dating, Marriage, and Family in Asia

Abstract

Marriage as a greedy institution is widely observed in the U.S. and other Western societies. The married are less socially involved with private social relationships, such as friendship and local community. Is marriage also a greedy institution in China, as it has evolved and become more individualized in the past century due to various social and economic forces? The current study utilizes nationally representative datasets from China and the U.S. (GSS) to compare the marriage effect on socializing with friends and neighbors in the two countries. The findings show that marriage is not a greedy institution in China, compared to the U.S. Married Chinese are more involved in their neighborhood, while socializing with friends is not impacted by people's marital status. Meanwhile, marriage diminishes Americans' involvement with friends and neighbors, consistent with previous empirical findings. The country differences in the marriage effect are significant. The gender and cultural implication on the marital relationship in both countries are discussed.

Author

• Fang Fang, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University