The changing relationship of women with their natal families

Abstract

The present article is based on an extensive literature review of the relationship between married daughters and their birth parents in contemporary China. The 1950 Marriage Law and subsequent legislation, as well as the one-child policy, have changed deep-rooted attitudes towards daughters both within the family and in the society. Economic reform, urbanization, and migration have also bolstered the social status and economic independence of women. The changing relationship of women to their natal families is a reflection of women’s social, economic, and educational status at large; together these affect the perceived role of women in the family, both before and after marriage.