Families in Transition

Instructor: Ting Kwok Fai

2

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

3

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

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

Gender preferences if respondents have 3 children (in %)

10

20

30

40

50

60

1977 1982 1987 1992 1997

Don’t care

More boys

More girlsBoth sex OK

Source: Report on the Survey of Family Planning Knowledge, Attitude & Practice in Hong Kong, 1997

6

Expectation of children's education by female respondents

Girl Boy Girl Boy

Primary 0.6 0.2 0.5 0.3Form 1-3 5.9 2.3 7.5 3.9Form 4-7 71.1 62.1 60.9 46.0University 18.8 30.3 29.2 46.2Graduate studies 2.5 4.0 1.0 2.6

N

Source: Report on the Survey of Family Planning Kowledge, Attitude & Practice in Hong Kong, 1997

Education level1992 1997

1681 1511

7

The preference for sons in Hong KongCumulative proportion of having the second birth

Birth cohort 1st year 2nd year 3rd year 4th year 5th year

1941-551st child: Female 0.057 0.346 0.563 0.686 0.7581st child: Male 0.040 0.311 0.516 0.626 0.702Ratio 1.423 1.113 1.093 1.095 1.079

1956-701st child: Female 0.048 0.221 0.369 0.560 0.6181st child: Male 0.011 0.156 0.297 0.449 0.585Ratio 4.435 1.413 1.240 1.247 1.057

Source: Social Change and Economic Life: A Sociological Study, 1994-96

8

Domestic duties Service class

Intermediate class

Working class

Total

1. Bring kids to school 1.05 1.27 1.40 1.272. Cooking 1.06 1.23 1.23 1.193. Laundry, ironing 0.93 1.19 1.30 1.164. Purchasing goods 0.97 1.14 1.23 1.135. Dish washing 0.73 1.07 1.14 1.006. Household cleaning 0.74 0.99 1.18 0.997. Help kids' homework 0.76 1.02 1.01 0.948. Financial matters 0.32 0.54 0.57 0.489. Installing & repairing -0.76 -0.78 -0.78 -0.77

Sample size 344 448 336 1128

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

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

Industrial Revolution Separation between private & public spheres Families as emotional organization

The subtle revolution Female labor force participation

11

Female labor force participation rate in HK

10

20

30

40

5060

70

80

90

100

1961 1971 1981 1991 1998

Male

Female

Female 15-19

Female 20-24Female 25-34 Female 35-44

12

Percent of dual working families in Hong Kong

40

45

50

55

60

65

1981 1986 1991 1996

Married women’s labor force participation rates

All women

Age 25-34

13

Trends in Hong Kong Dating Marriage Divorce Remarriage Parenthood

14

圖一﹕第一次約會的平均年齡

20.4

19.0 18.718.7

19.8 20.0

18.0

19.0

20.0

21.0

22.0

23.0

24.0

25.0

1940-44 1945-49 1950-54 1955-59 1960-64 1965-69

出生年份

年齡

男性

女性

注﹕在 1965-69 年出生的男性而並未開始約會的比率為 12%，使這個組別的平均約會年齡有可能被低估。

Dating

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 approvalOK to have premarital sex (Hong Kong sample, age 18-27), 1996

Hypothetical Premartial sex for male Premarital sex for femalesituations Male Female Male FemaleAbout to marry 67.5 49.9 62.7 48.8In love 56.3 40.1 49.9 39.2Deep affection 48.0 29.1 42.8 28.6No affection 7.6 1.6 6.4 2.3

Source: Report of the Youth Sexuality Study 1996

16

Cohabitation in Hong Kong

Cohabitation plans (Hong Kong sample, age 18-27), 1996

Plans Male Female

Remain single 0.8 0.5

Only cohabitation 3.1 1.9

Only marriage 39.0 50.1

First cohabitation then marriage 22.2 14.6

No plans 34.9 32.9

Source: Report of the Youth Sexuality Study 1996The Family Planning Association of Hong Kong

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Mate selection

Ideal marriage partner (Hong Kong)

Priorities Male FemaleCharacters 77% 55%Economic foundation 11% 33%Wisdom 6% 9%Appearance 6% 3%Note: Survey in August 2000 on about 450 personsSource: Apple Daily (28 Sept. 2000)

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Marriage Late marriage began 20 years ago for men, but 10

years earlier for women Most people eventually married

19

Median age at first marriage in Hong Kong

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

1971 1976 1981 1986 1991 1996Year

Age

Male

Female

Source: Demographic Trends in Hong Kong, 1971-82 & 1981-1996

20

Most people eventually married

Percentage of never-married person, age 45-49Sex 1961 1971 1981 1991 1999Male 5.1 7.2 9.2 6.4 7.4Female 7.4 3.8 2.3 3.7 7.0

Source: Various years reported in the Census, Hong Kong

21

Percentage of ever-married males, 1981

0

20

40

60

80

100

15-19 20-24 25-29 30-34 35-39 40-44 45-49 50+Age group

Per

cen

t

No schooling/Kindergarten

Primary

Tertiary

Secondary/Matriculation

Source: Hong Kong 1981 Census Main Report, vol. 1

22

Percentage of ever-married females, 1981

0

102030405060708090

100

Age group

Per

cent

Teritary

Primary

Secondary/Matriculation

No schooling/Kindergarten

Source: Hong Kong 1981 Census Main Report, vol. 1

15-19 20-24 25-29 30-34 35-39 40-44 45-49 50+

23

Percent brides older than bridegrooms at first marriage

10

12

14

16

18

1976 1981 1986 1991 1996

Year

Per

cen

t

Source: Demographic Trends in Hong Kong, 1971-82 & 1981-1996

24

Divorce

Divorces per 1000 married women

0

5

10

15

20

25

1972 1976 1981 1986 1991 1996

Hong Kong

United States

25

% remarriages to all marriages in Hong Kong

0.0

2.0

4.0

6.0

8.0

10.0

12.0

1971 1976 1981 1986 1991 1996

MaleFemale

Remarriage

26

Percent remarried among divorced/separated persons

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

1971 1976 1981 1986 1991 1996

Male

Female

Note: The denominator include separated persons

27

Median interval from marriage to 1st birth

14

16

18

2022

24

26

28

1976 1981 1986 1991 1996

Mon

ths

Parenthood Delaying childbirth

28

Fewer births

1

2

3

4

5

6

1961 1966 1971 1976 1981 1986 1991 1996

The expected # of births to a woman

Hong Kong

Singapore

USA

UK

Japan

Source: World Development Indicator, World Bank

29

Distribution of births by age

050

100150200250300350400

20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36

# of

bir

ths

per

1000

wom

en

Age specific fertility rates by birth cohorts

1931

19411951

1961

30

Parent-child relationship in Hong Kong, 1981-91

1981 1986 1991 1981 1986 1991

Father-child relationshipVery good 13.3 14.7 19.9 15.2 19.0 21.5Good 32.7 33.3 56.8 29.1 32.5 55.8

Mother-child relationshipVery good 19.6 21.9 34.9 21.3 21.9 39.1Good 43.4 39.6 55.9 38.2 40.8 50.5

Perception of parent's Love

Very much 13.7 23.5 26.4 21.1 28.8 33.6

Source: Youth Sexuality Study (In-school Youth) 1991

ResponsesBoys Girls

Father Mother