Gender Dynamics of Hypergamy: Insights from Parents in Shanghai’s Matchmaking Corner

Abstract

Data from the seventh Chinese census in 2020 indicates that the Chinese society is transitioning from an early and universal-marriage society to a late and fewer-marriage society. At the same time, gender disparity in education has reversed as women’s college enrollment surpassed that of men. It is under this background that we investigate the gender dynamics of the hypergamy norm among heterosexual marriages, through participant observation and semi-structured interviews with parents at the People’s Square Matchmaking Corner in downtown Shanghai. Our findings show that both men and women’s economic attributes are important factors of the mate selection process, but there is a stark gender difference. Second, the convention that the male family must provide an apartment to the newly-weds has relaxed, and that the two sides sharing the responsibility of property purchase has become increasingly popular. Third, men’s families have high expectation of women’s education, work and income, but they continue to stress women’s traditional gender role such as childbearing. Lastly, women’s families’ expectations of men’s economic attributes vary greatly, reflecting the increased status and financial resources of women and their natal families, as well as revisions of traditional gender norms such as men being the primary breadwinners.