DefiChine

Project
China is now, with India, among the country with the highest proportion of men in the world. This numerical imbalance between the sexes creates an unprecedented situation in the documented history of human populations, both in scale and its lasting impact on the number and structure of the population.
Les partenaires
DefiChine regroupe cinq partenaires institutionnels en France, en Chine et aux Etats-Unis. Financé conjointement par l’ANR et le Pres HeSam (en France) et l’IPDS (en Chine), le projet réunit 12 partenaires individuels issus de quatre
- Partenaires institutionnels
- Individual partners
Survey
The survey investigates marriage strategies, sexual behavior and perception of gender relations among male bachelors from rural areas in a context of sex imbalance at adult ages, and compares them to those observed among married men.
Publications
Our research on male bachelors’ living conditions, sexuality and the consequences of a shortage of women on gender roles is published in various journals
- Before the project
- In connexion with the project
News

Novelty of the project

Current research on the numerical imbalance between men and women in the marriage market is usually limited to the demographic and quantitative aspect, neglecting the qualitative one. Conversely, research on sexuality, gender roles and living conditions hardly touches on numbers in the analysis of relations between men and women. As a result, little is known about the consequences of a sex imbalance on the marriage market and, more broadly on individuals, their life plans and living conditions, and on gender roles and sexuality.

DefiChine covers themes that remain unexplored in contemporary societies both North and South. It is innovative because it will shed light on new trends and provide analysis at the intersection of demography, sociology and economics, in a field (China) with unprecedented demographic changes but which, given the size of the Chinese population (20% of the world population) is likely to influence the demographics elsewhere, notably by importing women from other countries.

Exploratory surveys revealed a variety of characteristics of single men in the context of a shortage of women. Using that first experience, DefiChine includes this specific theme within the broader issue of male bachelors’ living conditions, perception of gender roles, and family and sexual behaviours, in a context of reduced availability of female partners and major social and economic transformations.