Chinese Mother’s Marriage from the Perspective of Her One-Child Daughter:

Women Born in the Planned Economy Period and Market Economy Period

Abstract

    In this paper, we discuss the marriage of mothers who were born during the planned economy period from the perspective of their one-child daughters. As a result, three points can be highlighted. First, regarding the form of marriage, although differences can be observed between mothers and daughters, both groups tend to marry men of similar age, education level, ethnicity, and household registration. Furthermore, regarding the criteria for spouse selection, mothers and daughters are influenced by their respective historical backgrounds, but as a commonality, both prioritize the character, appearance, and occupational stability of men. Lastly, concerning marital relationships, mothers, like their daughters, emphasize not only practical conditions but also emotional aspects such as expressions of affection, thus having marital relationships that resonate with their own and their daughters' generations. By examining how one-child daughters perceive their mothers' views on marriage, it is confirmed that there are not only the differences emphasized by previous studies between women's marriages during China's planned economy period and market economy period, but also commonalities.