Changes in Divorce Attitudes in China: Variation by cohort, gender and education

• In Event: Family Section Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Table 8: Family Attitudes and Aspirations

Abstract

Background and Objectives: The rising divorce rate is one of the most prominent social trends in post-socialist China. Although much research suggests that increasing social tolerance toward divorce is a contributing factor, shifts in these attitudes have not yet been empirically examined. This study provides the first investigation of changes in divorce attitudes by cohort using a national survey in China.

Methods: I analyzed three items from two waves of data (2006 and 2017) from the Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS). Bivariate analyses and a series of linear regression models were used to examine how acceptance of divorce shifted across cohorts (individuals born between 1935–1985 in the 2006 wave and those born between 1945–1995 in the 2017 wave) and how these changes varied by age group (each wave divided into 5 groups at 10-year intervals), gender (female vs. male), and education level (lower than high school vs. high school and above).

Results: The first item shows a different trend from the latter two. In general, younger cohorts are less accepting of divorce as a solution to marital issues, consistently across age groups, gender, and education levels. The latter two items (“no matter how bad a marriage is, it is still better than being single or divorced”) display similar trends of change. People from younger age groups (20–40 years old) are more accepting of being single or divorced. However, educational attainment lower than high school, for both men and women, is associated with less acceptance of divorce in the 2017 wave than in 2006.

Discussion: Direct examinations of changes in attitudes toward divorce provide novel insights into cultural expectations regarding family formation and dynamics. Specifically, China demonstrates patterns similar to those in the U.S.—less stigmatization of divorce and increasing individual autonomy in marital choices.

Author

• Ruoqi Rosie Zheng, University of Michigan