This document discusses the phenomenon of "leftover women" in China, which refers to single, professional women aged 28-35 who have not married. It provides definitions, analyzes the situation and scale of the issue, discusses impacts like unhappiness and anxiety, examines causes such as women's independence and mating preferences, and proposes solutions like reforming attitudes and using social networks. The phenomenon of leftover women is deteriorating and impacts a significant portion of China's population.

1. The Phenomenon of Spinsterhood or Late
Marriage Among Chinese Professional Women
“Leftover Women”:
ELTU1001AB Yuqi Brandy Wang 2013.4.20

2. Flowchart
Definition
Situation
Impacts
Causes
Solutions

3. Definition: "Leftover women" or "3S" ladies
SingleSingle
SSeventieseventies
StuckStuck
Having
trouble
marrying.
Born in 1970s,
aging 28~35.
No
husband
nor
boyfriend.

4. Situation
80,000,000 anxious
parents
180,000,000
unmarried adults
249,000,000
unmarried
Chinese adults...
2010~2011
2012~2013
(The Chinese Marriage Status Report 2010-2011)&(The Chinese Marriage Status Report 2012-2013)
&(US population stock)&(Indonesia census result)
...is 18.6% of the
Chinese population
and 3.6% of the
world's population.

5. Situation
180,000,000
unmarried adults
249,000,000
unmarried
Chinese adults...
2010~2011
2012~2013
(The Chinese Marriage Status Report 2010-2011)&(The Chinese Marriage Status Report 2012-2013)
&(US population stock)&(Indonesia census result)
80,000,000 anxious
parents
180,000,000
unmarried adults
249,000,000
unmarried
Chinese adults...
...is 18.6% of the
Chinese population
and 3.6% of the
world's population.
2012~2013
2010~2011

6. Situation
single local
men in
Beijing
single local
women in
Beijing
510,000
400,000
---- Almanac of China’s Population 2010

7. Impacts 1/2
1. Unhappiness
among
“the leftovers”.

8. Impacts 2/2
2. Anxiety among
unmarried women.

9. Causes 1/2
1. Modern women’s
independence from men.
"Why marry if you don't have to?"
"Why marry if you don't have to?"
(K. Bolick, 2011)
(K. Bolick, 2011)

10. Causes 2/2
2. “Mating Gradient”,
or the tendency for husbands
to marry wives who are
younger and have less
education and less
occupational success.
(D. Knox, C. Schacht, 2013)
Excellence
Population

11. Causes 2/2
2. “Mating Gradient”,
or the tendency for husbands
to marry wives who are
younger and have less
educational and occupational
success.
(D. Knox, C. Schacht, 2013)
Excellence
Population

12. Solutions 1/2
1.Both unmarried men and women should reform their marital
attitudes. (Huang Zhilan, 2011)
http://mil.eastday.com/eastday/mil/node3508/userobject1ai811865.html
Condoleezza Rice,
American political
scientist and diplomat.

13. Solutions 2/2
2.Develop diverse social networking platforms such as
matrimonial websites, agencies and clubs. (Huang Zhilan,2011)

14. Solutions 2/2
2.Develop diverse social networking platforms such as
matrimonial websites, agencies and clubs. (Huang Zhilan,2011)

15. ConclutionConclution
Definition
Situation
Impacts
Causes
Solutions
‘‘Leftover women’’ or “3S(single, stuck, seventies) ladies”
Is deteriorating, becoming too severe to ignore.
1.Unhappiness among “the leftovers”
2.Anxiety among unmarried women.
1. Modern women’s independence from men.
2.“Mating gradient”
1.Both unmarried men and women should reform their marital attitudes.
2.Develop diverse social networking platforms

16. ConclutionConclution
Definition
Situation
Impacts
Causes
Solutions
‘‘Leftover women’’ or “3S(single, stuck, seventies) ladies”
Is deteriorating, becoming too severe to ignore.
1.Unhappiness among “the leftovers”
2.Anxiety among unmarried women.
1. Modern women’s independence from men.
2.“Mating gradient”
1.Both unmarried men and women should reform their marital attitudes.
2.Develop diverse social networking platforms

17. Reference
Almanac of China’s Population 2010 (2010), Institute of Population and Labor Economics CASS, Almanac of
China’s Population Periodical Office, 105-113 CN:11-4097/C
Arum, Richard, Josipa Roksa, & Michelle J Budig. (2008). The Romance of College Attendance: Higher
Education Stratification and Mate Selection. Research in Social Stratification and Mobility 26:107–21.
Christina Larson, (2012, August). China's 'Leftover Ladies' Are Anything But. Bloomberg Businessweek:
Global Economics, Retrieved from http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-08-22/chinas-leftover-ladies-
are-anything-but
Croll, Elisabeth. (1981). The Politics of Marriage in Contemporary China. Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press.
David Knox, Caroline Schacht. (2013). Choices in relationships : An introduction to marriage and the
family.Wadsworth, Cengage Learning. 176-181
Kate Bolick. (2011). All the single ladies. The Atlantic Monthly, 308, 116-118,120,122,124,126,128-130,132-
133,136. Retrieved from http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2011/11/all-the-single-ladies/308654/3/
Montan Sven. (2007, April). Increased risk in the elderly parturient. Curr Opin Obstet Gynecol. 19(2):110-2.
To. Sandy. (2013). Understanding Sheng Nu ('Leftover Women'): the Phenomenon of Late Marriage among
Chinese Professional Women. Symbolic Interaction, 36(1), 1-20. doi:10.1002/symb.46
The Chinese Marriage Status Report 2009 (2009). Retrieved from
http://lady.163.com/photoview/25TP0026/4158.html
The Chinese Marriage Status Report 2010-2011 (2011). Retrieved from
http://wenku.baidu.com/view/e88aff3e376baf1ffc4fad49.html
The Chinese Marriage Status Report 2011 (2011). The ministry of civil affairs matchmaking committee of
China Social Work Association & Baihe website. Retrieved from
http://lady.163.com/12/0105/17/7N15UK7A00261KQ0.html
The Chinese Marriage Status Report 2012-2013 (2013). Retrieved from
http://wenku.baidu.com/view/59546410964bcf84b9d57b24.html

18. Q&A
Yuqi Brandy Wang (1155031779)
Ms. Lindsey Grubers
ELTU1001 ABC1 Foundation English For University Studies
20th April 2013
Thanks for listening.