article
Marriage, family, and the state in contemporary China
Pacific affairs • 57 (2) • Published In 1984 • Pages: 213-236
By: Wolf, Margery.
Abstract
This article examines the institutions of family and marriage and their importance as a fundamental building block of the state that would remain even after initial attempts by the new Communist regime to dismantle both the patriarchy and the lineage system. While land reform weakened the older lineage systems, the new Marriage Law that promised to liberate women was not enforced because Party control in rural areas was dependent on local cadre support which continued to depend on patriarchal power. Also rural families continued to be an important support of the elderly in a country which could not yet afford pensions or other social services.
- Subjects
- Cultural goals
- Urban and rural life
- Gender status
- Marriage
- culture
- Han Chinese
- Region
- Asia
- Sub Region
- East Asia
- Document Type
- article
- Evaluation
- Creator Type
- Ethnologist
- Document Rating
- 4: Excellent Secondary Data
- 5: Excellent Primary Data
- Analyst
- Ian Skoggard; 2021
- Field Date
- 1980-1981
- Coverage Date
- 1949-1981
- Coverage Place
- People's Republic of China
- Notes
- Margery Wolf
- Includes bibliographical references
- LCCN
- 39001202
- LCSH
- China--Social life and customs