Women's Fertility Autonomy in Urban China
The Role of Couple Dynamics Under the Universal Two-Child Policy
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 2185607 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Yue Qian (0000-0001-5003-2885), Yongai Jin (0000-0001-6534-2544, Renmin University of China, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2018 |
| Volume | 50 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 275-309 |
| Publication date | 2018-07-03 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Chinese Sociological Review (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2162-0555 • E-ISSN: 2162-0563 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/21620555.2018.1428895 |
| OpenAlex | W2793565058 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 43 |
| References cited | 58 |
Under China’s universal two-child policy, decisions about whether to have a second birth become more dynamic, flexible, and subject to negotiation between the spouses; moreover, how women can maintain their fertility autonomy has far-reaching implications for gender equality. Using valuable, new data from the 2016 Survey of the Fertility Decision-Making Processes in Chinese Families, we examine the relationship between couple dynamics and women’s fertility autonomy in urban China. If women want no more than one child and already have one, intending to have a second birth indicates low fertility autonomy. Couple dynamics are measured by conjugal power structure and spousal pressure on fertility. We find that only if women have less marital power than their husbands, greater fertility pressure from husbands is associated with a higher likelihood that women intend to have a second birth. In addition, when investigating the determinants of couple dynamics, we find that women’s marital power depends on their relative resources, whereas fertility pressure from husbands persists regardless. The findings suggest that in post-reform urban China, growing gender inequalities in labor markets likely reduce women’s marital power, which in turn negatively affects their fertility autonomy. We urge greater research and policy attention to gender equality issues in the era of the universal two-child policy
Autonomy · Bargaining power · China · Demographic economics · Economics · Fertility · Negotiation · Political science · Population · Power (physics · Sociology · Demographic Trends and Gender Preferences · Demography · Family Dynamics and Relationships · Intergenerational Family Dynamics and Caregiving · Psychology
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The Consistency and Validity of Reproductive Attitudes
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Couples' Fertility and Contraceptive Decision-Making in Developing Countries
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Patriarchy, Resources, and Specialization
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Fertility and Employment
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| Unique citing works | 43 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 5,38 |
| Citation span | 2018 - 2026 (9) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 43 |