Bride price in China: the obstacle to 'Bare Branches' seeking marriage Articles uri icon

publication date

  • March 2012

start page

  • 2

end page

  • 15

issue

  • 1

volume

  • 17

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

  • 1081-602X

Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)

  • 1873-5398

abstract

  • Throughout Chinese history, the country's patrilineal family system has lead to the practice of paying for brides, a social phenomenon closely related to the issue of surplus males in China. This article attempts to analyze the fluctuations in bride prices over the last 50 years, and at the same time investigate the two vicious cycles involving 'bare branches' and the ways in which they find money to pay a bride price. The following points are concluded: 1. The prevalence of paying a bride price is closely related to China's shortage of females. Due to the difficulty involved in finding a wife, bride prices have consistently risen since the 1980s. 2. Males in poor rural areas are afflicted by two vicious cycles.The first is the 'poor—bare branch—poorer' cycle. Specifically, poverty prevents them from finding a spouse; this effectively turns them into bare branches, after which they become even poorer. The second is the 'inability to pay the bride price—bare branch—need to pay a higher bride price' cycle.Unable to pay a bride price because they are poor, they are forced to postpone getting married to save enough money. After they become bare branches, they find themselves in amore disadvantaged position, and as a resultmust pay a higher bride price when seeking a wife. 3. In order to pay a bride price, many families are forced to scrimp and save for decades, to borrow money or to take out other types of loans. In extreme circumstances, they will even resort to obtaining money illegally in order to pay a bride price.

keywords

  • bare branch; bride price; vicious cycles; marriage; china