1. Marriage is still thought to be a natural part of life in China.
Marriage in China has undergone change during the country’s reform and opening period, especially because of new legal policies like the New Marriage Law of 1950 and the Family planning policy in place from 1979 to 2015. The major transformation in the twentieth century is characterized by the change from traditional structures for Chinese marriage, such as the arranged marriage, to one where the freedom to choose one’s partner is generally respected. However, both parental and cultural pressures are still placed on many individuals, especially women. Heterosexual marriage is still thought of as a natural part of the life course and as a responsibility of good citizenship in China. It is hardly accepted if a couple lived together without a marriage certificate, which will be thought illegal.
2. Same-sex marriage
Today there is no recognition of same-sex unions in China. Being a homosexual person bears even greater stigma than being single or divorced. Despite this stigma, many local lala communities have developed within China that have increased the visibility of non-normative sexualities and genders. However, the heterosexual family and marriage still serve as public forms of social control that pressure many of these women to participate in heterosexual marriages.
3. Living with married children
Outside of marriage decisions, parents may also be involved in the married lives of their children through their living arrangements. Although many couples now have their own separate residence, residential patterns of parents and children vary according to different circumstances. The occurrence of parents and their married children living together changes over the course of their lifetime as circumstances like childcare needs for the married couples arise, or when parents become widowed, and/or consideration of the health of parents.
4. Types of marriage practices in China
Naked marriage is recent Chinese slang, coined in 2008 to describe the growing number of marriages between partners who do not yet own any significant assets. The “Five Nos” involved are: no ring, no ceremony, no honeymoon, no home, and no car.
Flash marriage is recent Chinese slang for a marriage between partners who have known each other less than one month.
As we can see from above, Britain and China differ greatly in some aspects of marriage. Firstly, in Britain there are more than 50% of couples cohabit without getting married whereas there will only be quite a small number of people doing that in China, which could be thought a shame and unprotected by law. Secondly, gay-marriage is legalized in Britain but quite the contrary in China. Thirdly, couples in Britain live alone without their parents taking care of them or their children but in China, it is common to see that. It is said that the Chinese parents like to arrange everything for their children which can sometimes bring happiness or cause great trouble. Will this trend be still changing in both countries? Only time will tell.
Edited by Christina at Brighton
