User:Xinlian Xu/sandbox

Background
Traditionally, Chinese marriage life was based on the principles of the Confucian ideology. This ideology formed a marriage culture that strove for the “Chinese family idea, which was to have many generations under one roof" . Confucianism grants order and hierarchy as well as the collective needs over those of the individual . It was the maintenance of filial piety that dictated a traditional behavior code between men and women in marriage and in the lifetime preparation for marriage. The segregation of females and the education of males were cultural practices which separated the two sexes, as men and women would occupy different spheres after marriage.

“Marriage was under the near-absolute control of family elders and was considered an important part of a family's strategy for success”. The system of patrilineal succession and ancestral worship left no place for daughters within their natal family trees. Traditionally, brides became a part of their husband’s family and essentially cut ties with their natal families with special emphasis placed on a wife’s ability to produce a male heir. As arranged marriages were customary, husband and wife often did not meet each other until the day of the wedding. Married life consisted of a complex and rigid family arrangement with the role of the male to provide for the family and that of the female to care of the domestic duties within the home, as dictated by the ideas conveyed in Song Ruozhao’s Analects for Women. Confucianism is no longer an explicit belief system in China, which requires women to be obedient, and carry on the family line. However, it has created a lasting legacy of traditional assumptions and ideas about marriage. On the process of democratization in Modern era, the Confucian ideology still influence how the society or an individual evaluate a female in China. Thus, it is still a major barrier to achieving gender equality and women’s sexual autonomy in marriage.

Confucianism are commonly Han practices, but many minority groups in China practice marriage and family lineage differently. For example, the ethnic minority of the Mosuo practice matrilineal succession, and for the entire process from pregnancy, childbirth, to raising a family, the wife-husband pair work together. There is very little gendered division of labor in the practices of the Lahu people.

Cui Hun (urge somebody to get married)
Cui Hun is a common phenomenon in China that parents and relatives pressure unmarried people and urge them to get married before their 30, particularly females. In China, most parents hope their children can get married at an earlier age, around 30 years old or earlier. Usually, parents will introduce them to potential people to date when parents feel anxiety and worry about their children's unmarried status. One of the most popular ways is by asking their relatives and friends to find a proper marriage partner. Also, they will go to Matchmaking Corne and post marriage-seeking ads. The phenomenon connects to the ideology that females' marriage and relationship status undermine their success. Caring for the Next Generation Working Committee, a Communist Party-affiliated organization established by the State Council, surveyed in 2016 that 86% of people whose ages range from 25 to 35 experienced the pressure of getting married from their parents. Although the phenomenon of parental authority has weakened in recent years, many young people are still unable to defy their parents' wishes openly.

There is an unavoidable value gap between two generations when it comes to who and when they marry. Firstly, many older generations consider the ideal age to get married in 23 for women and 25 for men. In particular, females are expected to marry before their late twenties, or they would be titled "Sheng Nu", in other words, "leftover women." However, as many young women pursue education and career, the average age of first marriage is delayed. For example, in 2005, people's average age of the first marriage is 24.37 for women and 26.68 for men in Shanghai. However, it becomes 28.14 for women and 30.11 for men in 2014. Therefore, parents get more agitated when young people pursue their education and career in their twenties without a partner in their late twenties. Secondly, members of the older generation consider marriage a necessary safeguard in sudden sickness or unexpected unemployment. In some respects, it conflicts with the younger generation, who value freedom and independence. Therefore, Cui Hun is a common phenomenon in China that many young people should deal with. However, parents urge their children to get married is not a completely outdated behaviour. When parents are getting old, they expect to rely on their children financially and mentally. They worry that unmarried children will not have a family support network as the relationship network plays a significant role in China.