Challenging Normative Temporalities: The Role of Migration in Delaying Childbearing in Contemporary China

Xijia You, University of Oxford

Drawing on 70 life story interviews, the research employs a temporality perspective to examine how internal migration, as a significant life event, influences childbearing postponement among young adults in Shenzhen, a rapidly developing migrant society in China. In Chinese culture, childbearing is traditionally embedded within a linear sequence of life events – including work, marriage, and parenthood – that signify personal development. These life events are positioned within a culturally defined temporal spectrum, where adhering to age norms is seen as essential for social acceptance and success. Such norms not only instruct and discipline individual behaviour but also limit autonomy in fertility decision-making. However, this research argues that internal migration interrupts these ingrained temporal norms. By relocating to a dynamic society like Shenzhen, young adults are afforded the opportunity to challenge conventional timelines and prioritise values such as leisure and career advancement. Migration, therefore, becomes a strategic act of agency, enabling individuals to reimagine their life trajectories and delay childbearing. This study contributes to the broad intersections among fertility, migration and temporality by illustrating how internal migration in contemporary China serves as both a catalyst and a strategic choice for individuals seeking greater control over the timing of entering parenthood.

Keywords: International Migration, Fertility, Qualitative data/methods/approaches, Gender Dynamics

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