A rope always snaps at its thinnest point

Structural Factors Contributing to Childlessness Among Older Men in a Resource-Constrained Area

Bibliographic Data

ID7146243
AuthorsWenqian Xu (0000-0003-4274-5468, Lund University, corresponding author), Chunyan Kong (0009-0003-6519-3982, Fudan University), Fang Zhao (0009-0001-4551-8116, Fudan University)
Year2026
Volume46
Publication date2026-01-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueAgeing and Society (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0144-686X • E-ISSN: 1469-1779
PublisherCambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1017/s0144686x25100287
OpenAlexW4414555182
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited39

Childlessness in late male adulthood is increasingly prevalent in rural China, indicating a need to understand the factors contributing to it. This group is often overlooked in gerontological and childlessness research. While existing studies have explored individual-level predictors of childlessness over the lifecourse and implications of broader societal conditions at the population level, little is known about how lifecourse and structural factors interact to shape pathways to childlessness. This study aims to investigate structural factors contributing to childlessness among older men in a rural area of northern China. It focuses on the life stories of 13 childless older men and the effects of history, timing and life-domain interdependencies, finding that some participants experienced intense disruptive life events or critical turning points – early-life care-giving responsibilities, disability or withdrawal from school – that altered their life trajectories. These events often intersected with structural factors, including unstable and low-paid employment, lack of social protection and prevailing social norms, which reinforced one another and jointly constrained prospects for marriage and parenthood. These trajectories unfolded within shifting policy contexts; institutional arrangements across different historical periods shaped and often produced disadvantages in the marriage market. This study advances theoretical understanding of the structural factors contributing to male childlessness by recognizing life trajectories, structural shifts and social relations as linked factors shaping cumulative disadvantage in union formation and childbearing. Its policy implications surround supporting individuals who intend to form families during critical life transitions and addressing the broader structural barriers that shape male childlessness in rural areas

Capability approach · Childlessness · Disadvantage · Life course approach · Population · Rural area · Social policy · Family Dynamics and Relationships · Health disparities and outcomes · Intergenerational Family Dynamics and Caregiving

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Open DOIOpen Access