Market transition, educational disparities, and family strategies in rural China: new evidence on gender stratification and development.
Two theoretical perspectives have dominated debates about the impact of development on gender stratification: modernization theory, which argues that gender inequalities decline with economic growth, and the "women in development" perspective, which argues that development may initially widen gender gaps. Analyzing cross-sectional surveys and time-series data from China, this article indicates the relevance of both perspectives: while girls' educational opportunities were clearly more responsive than boys' to better household economic circumstances, the era of market transition in the late 1970s and early 1980s failed to accelerate and, in fact, may have temporarily slowed progress toward gender equity.
Department of Sociology, University of Pennsylvania, 3718 Locust Walk, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6299, USA. hannumem@soc.upenn.edu
Emily
E
Hannum
D002681:China; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003906:Developing Countries; D004522:Educational Status; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility; D005783:Gender Identity; D019456:Health Transition; D006801:Humans; D016018:Least-Squares Analysis; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D009936:Organizational Innovation; D011287:Prejudice; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012424:Rural Population / Q000639:trends*; D012922:Social Change; D040241:Social Marketing; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014930:Women / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology; D014933:Women's Rights / Q000193:education / Q000639:trends*