At the end of 2020, a set of data showing the declining trend in the number of newborns in Shanghai in 1990, 2000, 2010 and January 1, 2020 was widely disseminated on self-media platforms, triggering widespread public concern about China’s fertility situation. Behind this phenomenon is the fact that the overall fertility level of Chinese society continues to decline. Relevant studies have found that the total fertility levels of Chinese society in 2000, 2010, 2015, and 2020 were 1.8, 1.7, 1.6, and 1.3 respectively, which are far lower than the fertility level for generational replacement (2.1). After the implementation of the comprehensive two-child policy, the number of births in China decreased by 630,000, 2 million and 670,000 respectively from the previous year from 2017 to 2019. Data from the 2017 National Sample Survey on Fertility Status show that the expected number of children for women who have given birth to one child and those who have not yet given birth are 1.29 and 1.60 respectively. The above data shows that Chinese couples of childbearing age are obviously not motivated to have children. Some studies regard fertility anxiety as an important reason for the above phenomenon. Behind fertility anxiety is the relationship between the number of children and the economic dependence between couples of childbearing age.
Economic dependence is an important concept used to present the economic status and gender power of couples within the family. If the increase in the number of children widens the economic gap between married couples, on the one hand it will reduce women's bargaining power, and on the other hand it will increase men's economic pressure, which may lead to fertility anxiety among couples of childbearing age, which in turn will Negative effects on reproductive decisions. Therefore, examining the impact of the number of children on the economic dependence of couples of childbearing age has implications for understanding the status of women within the family and the fertility anxiety of couples of childbearing age. Existing relevant studies have separately examined the impact of labor market investment, human capital, family of origin status and demographic characteristics on married women's economic dependence, but there is a lack of attention to the impact of the number of children on the economic dependence of couples of childbearing age.
Drawing on the theory of gender division of labor specialization and status characteristics theory in family and gender studies, this study found that:
For Chinese couples of childbearing age, married women show higher economic dependence characteristics, while married men show higher Economic autonomy characteristics; an increase in the number of children will significantly increase the economic dependence coefficient of married women, and will significantly reduce the economic dependence coefficient of married men, thus widening the economic gap between couples of childbearing age. This finding is found in rural areas and All are supported and verified in urban samples.
Consistent with previous research, married women in Chinese families show higher economic dependence. More than 60% of married women are more economically dependent on their husbands, and less than 10% of married men are more economically dependent on their wives. . In addition, this study found that the economic dependence of married women is more obvious in rural areas, which corresponds to the higher economic autonomy of rural married men. More than 3/4 of rural married men have the characteristics of economic independence.
Based on the definition of economic dependence in this study, the above phenomenon means that married women (especially rural married women) are more dependent on their spouses' economic transfers to maintain their current living standards. As one of the core indicators of an individual's family status, economic dependence determines an individual's degree of freedom in the private sphere. Research on couples' negotiation power shows that long-term economic dependence will reduce an individual's right to speak and exit in family decision-making.
The impact of the number of children on the economic dependence of couples of childbearing age has certain implications for understanding the "fertility anxiety" phenomenon of Chinese couples at this stage. For couples of childbearing age, the increase in the number of children means that married women need to devote more time and energy to raising children and related unpaid labor, thus sacrificing their paid labor, entertainment and even sleep time. Increased financial dependence on a spouse will also lead to a decrease in family power, which may trigger anxiety in married women.
In addition, due to the high time cost of childcare in the current society, when mothers devote more time and energy to raising children, the living costs caused by the increase in the number of children need to be borne by married men who are the breadwinners. , it may be necessary to obtain higher income through overtime, part-time work, etc., the consequence of which is the emergence of "overwork". Not only that, society's role shaping of "good fathers" requires married men to devote more time to childcare than before The dual pressure and role conflicts brought about by the roles of children, "breadwinner" and "good father" may also trigger anxiety in married men.
Influenced by traditional social stratification theory, current social policies dedicated to promoting fertility support and gender equality still use the family as the basic unit. Based on the research findings of this article and the related analysis of fertility anxiety, future policy formulation should be dedicated to eliminating the family Internal gender inequality will take into account the interests of individuals (especially married women).
In terms of child care support, government departments must speed up the improvement of the public service system and child care support policies, including the large-scale development of inclusive public kindergartens and the establishment of "community"-based child care and child care services. Especially in rural areas, government departments must increase financial investment, provide diversified welfare support, and use administrative redistribution to make up for the lack of market development in child care matters.
In terms of organizational systems, urges employers to introduce a series of rules and regulations for married and pregnant women in terms of prenatal check-ups, leave, and childbirth, and advocates the setting of flexible working hours to solve the problems of women in the workplace. "No worries about the future." The whole society must persist in long-term efforts to reduce and reduce the various hidden entry barriers for married women's employment, career development and income in the labor market, ensure their opportunities to meet the cost of living through employment, and enable women to balance work and family. achieve balance.
In terms of cultural value, vigorously promotes the process of social gender equality (especially in rural areas or economically underdeveloped areas), strives to create a "family-friendly" and "fertility-friendly" social atmosphere, and encourages men and women to share children equally. Childcare and financial support responsibilities. Support the employment or re-employment of pregnant women and maintain their full-time working status, thereby reducing their economic dependence on their spouses.
In summary, this study believes that targeted policy design can help women become economically independent, reduce the fertility anxiety of married couples, and thereby promote the process of gender equality in the private sector and stop the decline in fertility rates from falling but rising.
Content source: "Journal of Xi'an Jiaotong University (Social Science Edition)" 2021 Issue 6 - Sun Xiaodong, Zhang Jun. The number of children and the economic dependence of Chinese couples of childbearing age [J]. Journal of Xi'an Jiaotong University (Social Sciences Edition), 2021(6):129-137.
Official WeChat: Xi'an Jiaotong University of Social Sciences (XJSKQK)
Full text acquisition: National Philosophy and Social Sciences Documentation Center or Journal of Xi'an Jiaotong University (Social Science Edition)
