The Interplay of Multidimensional Gender Ideologies and Child-Rearing Purposes in Shaping Ideal Fertility Numbers in China

Xiaoxian Qiu, Australian National University
Natalie Nitsche, Australian National University

Fertility intentions, desires, and ideals are among the strongest predictors for fertility behaviour. In the context of China’s low fertility rates, fertility ideation hence serves as a key predictor of future fertility. Recently, gender egalitarian people have been shown to have lower fertility intentions across Europe. In China’s patriarchal society, traditional gender ideologies have been tied to child-rearing purposes focused on continuing the family lineage. However, like elsewhere, gender attitudes in Cina shifted toward egalitarianism among younger generations. It remains unknown if gender-egalitarianism is linked with lower fertility ideation in China, and if this link could be mediated by differences in child-rearing purposes between egalitarians and non-egalitarians. This study aims to address these questions. Using data from the China Family Panel Studies (2010–2020), we employ latent-class modelling to analyse if multidimensional gender ideologies and child-reading purpose-clusters are associated with fertility ideals and intentions. We also test whether child-rearing purposes mediate the link between gender ideology and fertility ideals. First results indeed reveal that gender-egalitarians desire fewer children in China, and that they tend to embrace traditionally- or economically oriented child-rearing purposes less often. Differences in child-rearing purposes, however, do not mediate the link between gender ideology and fertility ideals.

Keywords: Fertility, Gender Dynamics

See extended abstract.