1. Families in Transition Instructor: Ting Kwok Fai

2. 2 Family in transitions  What is family?  Traditional Chinese families  Macro causes of change  Trends in Hong Kong

3. 3 What is family?  Defining family  Marriage as a social institution  Family as a social organization  Consequences of marriage: costs & benefits

4. 4 Traditional Chinese families  Blood ties  Chinese: Father-son relationship (vertical axis)  Western societies: Husband-wife relationship (horizontal axis)  Harmony  Strong leadership: Patriarchal society  Division of labor  By age  By sex

5. 5 Gender preferences if respondents have 3 children (in %) 10 20 30 40 50 60 19771982198719921997 Don’t care More boys More girls Both sex OK Source: Report on the Survey of Family Planning Knowledge, Attitude & Practice in Hong Kong, 1997

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7. 7  The preference for sons in Hong Kong

8. 8 Division of domestic labor in Hong Kong, 1996 Source: Social change and life history in Hong Kong Scores from -2 (husband) to +2 (wife)

9. 9 Macro causes of change  The longevity revolution  Trends  Infants are more likely to survive adulthood  Lower fertility rates create smaller family sizes  Effects: Redefine family life  Strengthen emotional bonds between parents & children (child-centered family)  Lengthen the duration of marriage  Create “new” life stages: childhood, adolescence, empty- nest

10. 10  Industrial Revolution  Separation between private & public spheres  Families as emotional organization  The subtle revolution  Female labor force participation

11. 11  Female labor force participation rate in HK

12. 12  Percent of dual working families in Hong Kong 40 45 50 55 60 65 1981198619911996 Married women’s labor force participation rates All women Age 25-34

13. 13 Trends in Hong Kong  Dating  Marriage  Divorce  Remarriage  Parenthood

14. 14  Dating

15. 15  Sexual revolution: Premarital sex in Hong Kong  24% female & 26% male (age 18-27) in 1991  31% female & 31% male (age 18-27) in 1996  Social approval Source: Report of the Youth Sexuality Study 1996

16. 16  Cohabitation in Hong Kong Source: Report of the Youth Sexuality Study 1996 The Family Planning Association of Hong Kong

17. 17  Mate selection Ideal marriage partner (Hong Kong)

18. 18  Marriage  Late marriage began 20 years ago for men, but 10 years earlier for women  Most people eventually married

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20. 20  Most people eventually married Source: Various years reported in the Census, Hong Kong

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23. 23 Percent brides older than bridegrooms at first marriage 10 12 14 16 18 19761981198619911996 Year Percent Source: Demographic Trends in Hong Kong, 1971-82 & 1981-1996

24. 24  Divorce Hong Kong United States

25. 25 Male Female  Remarriage

26. 26 Male Female Note: The denominator include separated persons

27. 27 Median interval from marriage to 1st birth 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 19761981198619911996 Months  Parenthood  Delaying childbirth

28. 28  Fewer births 1 2 3 4 5 6 19611966197119761981198619911996 The expected # of births to a woman Hong Kong Singapore USA UK Japan Source: World Development Indicator, World Bank

29. 29  Distribution of births by age 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 202224262830323436 # of births per 1000 women Age specific fertility rates by birth cohorts 1931 1941 1951 1961

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