Love Matches and Arranged Marriages: A Chinese Replication

Abstract

Data from a probability sample of 586 evermarried women in Chengdu, Sichuan, in the People's Republic of China, are used to examine the transition from arranged to free-choice marriages in that society. Retrospective data on mate-choice experiences reveal that the role of parents has declined sharply, while young people more and more dominate the process of spouse selection. However, the transition toward free mate choice appears to have made little further headway in recent years, and there is still little sign of a "dating culture" emerging. Variations in mate-choice experiences are used to test the prediction of defenders of arranged marriage that "love matches start out hot and grow cold, while arranged marriages start out cold and grow hot." In a partial replication of an investigation of the same question conducted by Robert Blood in Tokyo, Japan, in 1959, the evidence refutes this prediction. Multiple regression analyses indicate that wives in Chengdu love matches are more satisfied with their marital relationships than their counterparts in arranged marriages, regardless of the length of the marriage, and that this difference cannot be attributed to the influence of other background factors that differentiate these two types of women. Throughout the world a revolution has been taking place in the way mates are selected. In societies where parents used to select marital partners for their children, the power of parents is crumbling.

Relationship Guidance Sources, Fears and Reasons for Marriage among Young Urban Christians in Kenya

“…Most traditional cultures emphasize family ties and loyalty to parents [39]. The important role parents play in young adults' lives is underlined in the study finding that many of the respondents sought guidance about their relationships from their parents.…”

Marriage Markets in Developing Countries

“…The empirical evidence, however, is largely correlational and inconclusive. For example, Xiaohe and Whyte (1990) find that women in love matches in China report higher marital satisfaction and have greater decision-making power, while in Turkey, Hortaçsu (1999) reports greater decision-making power of women for housework-related decisions and less frequent interaction with wife's family in familyarranged marriages. Using data from Pakistan, Hamid et al (2011) find that women who have a say in the selection of their spouse are more likely to communicate with their spouse and negotiate about their fertility.…”

The Internet and Its Implications for Children, Parents and Family Relationships

“…Parental control over mate selection is decreasing, however, and there is now a shift towards a more romantic approach to marriage in countries such as Turkey, Japan (Roopnarine and Gielen, 2005), China (Xiaohe and Whyte, 1998) and India (Leeder, 2004). Increased choice in mate selection is being reflected in increased choice about whether and when to marry.…”