China’s Universal Two-Child Policy and Gender Dynamics in Enterprises

• In Event: Gender and Politics Research in China

Abstract

The role of the state in societies is one of the fundamental questions social scientists explore. In 1980, the People’s Republic of China announced its one-child policy to curb its rapid population growth. Although not intended, the policy reshaped gender norms by reducing fertility rates, allowing women to step outside their traditional reproductive roles, and allowing for greater focus on daughters. The policy was reversed in 2015, with important implications for gender equality. This paper studies whether policy regulations can reinforce patriarchal gender norms, and make women relatively less desirable in the hiring process and less mobile in labor markets. With a focus on enterprises as agents of the state, this research explores the divergence between state-owned and private enterprises. Through differences-in-differences analysis on survey data and in-depth qualitative interviews with employees in state-owned and private sectors, I show that as the party emphasizes a return to traditional family roles for women, there are diverse responses from enterprises. Some may perceive the employment of women as economically burdensome, while others may act the opposite. Through this question, this study contributes to our understanding of the scope and limits of state actions, particularly in the context of today’s declining birth rates as a form of “everyday resistance”. By exploring these dynamics, this research contributes to a broader understanding of the relationship between individuals and the state.

Author

• Si Wu, Boston University