China Series: Demographic Dilemma and How It's Transforming Families with Ashton Verdery

The average Chinese family size is shrinking. For every 100 Chinese females there are roughly 105 Chinese males, a disparity that amounts to about 32 million more men on a countrywide scale. This shift in gender balance and family structures is the unavoidable consequence of China's declining fertility rates, and the strict One-Child Policy enacted in 1979. This week, host Elisa is joined by Ashton Verdery of Penn State University to discuss China's shifting population and how these trends will shape the country's development for years to come. Ashton Verdery is the Harry and Elissa Sichi Early Career Professor of Sociology, Demography, and Social Data Analytics, and Associate Professor of Sociology & Demography at Penn State: https://sociology.la.psu.edu/people/amv5430/ References: Eberstadt, Nicholas, and Ashton Verdery. “China's Shrinking Families: The Demographic Trend That Could Curtail Beijing’s Ambitions.” Foreign Affairs, 10 Jan. 2023, https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/china/2021-04-07/chinas-shrinking-families