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    Leftover Women: The Resurgence of Gender Inequality in China
    Unavailable
    Leftover Women: The Resurgence of Gender Inequality in China
    Unavailable
    Leftover Women: The Resurgence of Gender Inequality in China
    Ebook259 pages3 hours

    Leftover Women: The Resurgence of Gender Inequality in China

    By Leta Hong Fincher

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    ‘Scattered with inspiring life-stories of courageous women.’
    The Guardian

    In the early years of the People’s Republic, the Communist Party sought to transform gender relations. Yet those gains have been steadily eroded in China’s post-socialist era.

    Contrary to the image presented by China’s media, women in China have experienced a dramatic rollback of rights and gains relative to men.

    In Leftover Women, Leta Hong Fincher exposes shocking levels of structural discrimination against women, and the broader damage this has caused to China’s economy, politics, and development.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherZed Books
    Release dateJul 31, 2016
    ISBN9781783607914
    Unavailable
    Leftover Women: The Resurgence of Gender Inequality in China

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    Reviews for Leftover Women

    4/5

    4 ratings10 reviews

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    • 4/5
      This book brings up some very difficult points and has done a very good job of finding out the data when the government in question is doing its best to hide it. That said, after the first chapter it becomes a very tedious read with multiple references to other chapters and points back to things said in the first chapter. It almost reads, at times, like a college student struggling to make a word limit.
    • 3/5
      Interesting perspective on the repression of women in modern China. Definitely a book worth writing given the paucity of information on this topic in the west. The book is written directly and mixes anecdotes, research, history, and statistics to explain the issue. The strongest section of the book relates to China's "leftover women" phenomena. It's an intriguing lens to look at the issue and often is an exacerbating factor for women in China. The book is at times repetitive and, though short, feels like it is stretching itself even to get to its 190 pages.
    • 4/5
      I've learned many horrifying things about gender relationships, particularly heterosexual marriages, in urban Chinese cities. For instance, it is considered inappropriate and emasculating to have a woman's name on the deed to marital home, so the vast majority of homes are owned exclusively in the man's name. If they divorce, she has no claim to the home unless she can prove she contributed equally to its purchase -- and unsurprisingly, it is also considered inappropriate for her to keep receipts showing that. Chinese banks do not permit married couples to have joint bank accounts, so women who do not work cannot access any money other than what their husbands give them. So, who would ever be dumb enough to marry in this society? The government started a propaganda campaign telling women that they are old maids past the age of 25 and they need to settle for a man or they'll be alone forever. Oh, and the recent increase in birth defects? Caused by advanced maternal age (over the age of 26), and definitely not by all of the pollution. Thanks, propaganda!This is not a perfect book; it is quite repetitive, with chapters frequently re-introducing facts or ideas already introduced in previous chapters. I also thought several of the topics were pretty shallow, and for a PhD student, under-analyzed. But I learned a lot from this book and would recommend it to others with an interest in women's rights.
    • 4/5
      A sobering and fascinating look at gender dynamics in present day China. It is absolutely amazing to me how people can be pressured into doing things that blatantly go against their own self interest thanks for governmental, family and media influence. This book reminds me yet again about the major differences between China and the West and makes me doubly appreciate living in the United States. Written in a clear way appropriate for both scholars and non-scholars alike, Leftover Women was a relatively quick and interesting read.
    • 4/5
      I was blown away by this book. Just the thought of me being 30 with a master's degree and unmarried how if I was in China what I would be dealing with. I feel the pressure of being an "old maid" from my mother who reminds me that I'm a dried up old woman already and if I don't get married soon and settle down with anyone that nobody will want me. I think this is an amazing book and even if you don't have a liking for the Asian culture this is just a great insight into a different culture and view of the lives of woman and men.
    • 4/5
      This is definitely a four star book! Leftover Women: The Resurgence of Gender Equality in China by Leta Hong Fincher makes me think of the 1950s in the United States. That was when women were encouraged to be home and take care of the family, instead of competing with men for a high paying jobs. Even though they had proved their ability by putting together airplanes and ships, they were suddenly relegated to the kitchen, to take care of the children and to keep their husbands happy.This was a big step backwards for women's equality. But in China, this step backwards is a much bigger step, a more dangerous step.Leta Hong Flincher proves her point about the "sheng nu" or leftover women in China's current society. There is a tremendous pressure to get married while you are still in your child bearing years. In China, only the man's name is on the bank account and on the registration for the house. There is much more pressure to buy a house than here. That pressure is from family and friends but also by the government campaigns. And those campaigns are not limited to that one area.The Leftover Women are those unmarried women or in our culture, "old maid". They can be only twenty-five years or older, vibrant and intelligent professional women but they are portrayed as dried up old women. There is tremendous pressure to not be a leftover woman.What does the extraordinary real estate boom, the consequences of the one child policy and the government non acceptance of lesbians and gays have to do with this backwards slide? The author did two and a half years of care research and found out how this is happening.The writing style is clear and easy to read although just a bit repetitive. I had visited China back in 1998 and think this is a clear change from the way it was then. I highly recommend this book to all who are interested in China.I received this advance reading copy as a win from FirstReads but that in no way influenced my thoughts or feelings in my review.
    • 4/5
      An important book. Offering a close look at the real estate boom and how property rights are practiced, Leta Hong Fincher offers a comprehensive overview of the ways women's rights are undermined today in post-socialist China. It's hard to read without feeling an ever bubbling sense of outrage at the constant discrimination women face. Hong Fincher clearly documents how the forces of the market economy, the authoritarian state, and old-fashioned patriarchy converge to undermine women's autonomy, support male power, and maintain compulsory heterosexuality. She clearly shows the institutional nature of women's oppression, such as in the lack of protections from abuse and in the case of divorce. I appreciated that her discussion touched on the lives of lesbians and gay men, in addition to heterosexuals. Her prose is very readable, and the inclusion of ample real-life examples and direct quotes adds to the urgent and persuasive nature of the narrative. Her writing does, at times, feels slightly repetitive; some sentences that offer glimpses into future chapters crop up later with very similar wording. Overall, it was an excellent read that I would definitely recommend to anyone interested in women's rights.NOTE: I received a free advance reader's copy of the book through the Goodreads "First Reads" program.
    • 5/5
      A well researched book I am sad to learn what is happening to women in China........ It is a clever way the state has used to try and make all women marry so there will be less unmarried guys.....don't understand why the guys don't realize they are lucky they were chosen over other men and should be nice to their wives and treat them fairly. Leta Hong Fincher shows how the the mind set of the " male child is the important one" perseveres. To my western mind it is hard to imagine how parents can financially support nephews while financially ignoring their own daughters. She also explains and contrasts the importance of real estate in China and America. I recommend this book.
    • 5/5
      I have a great interest in the lives of Chinese people. As such, I was eager to read Leta Hong Fincher's "Leftover Women: The Resurgence of Gender Inequality in China". She did a thorough job of researching her subject. I learned so much about the true nature of what a modern Chinese woman experiences on a daily basis. This book goes into great detail about how the government and society has suppressed women to the point that they are defeated and defenseless. She performed many interviews and collected women's stories through the internet. A "leftover woman" is an unmarried woman in her late 20's or older. Vilified by the media and government, these women feel intense pressure to marry. They are encouraged to marry even when the partnership isn't a good match. They are told to lower their expectations and settle. Even when married, a woman's troubles are not over. She'll be unlikely to own property, may have little financial resources (no joint bank accounts allowed), and may face physical abuse from her partner (domestic violence not defined in Chinese laws). Because of the lack of financial independence and government protection, an abused woman is unlikely to divorce. She may be stuck. Also covered in this book is the work of female activists and their general persecution by the government. This was a fast read. It is well written and easy to understand. I put this on my list of "Must Read".
    • 5/5
      This is a fascinating look at the difference between reality and social control efforts in modern China.In point of fact, in China there are no "leftover women"; the stats show (depending on area), anything from 110 men to 100 women on up. In some rural districts, as described in this book, unmarried men outnumber unmarried women at over 2:1!One would think, then, that society and the political machine would realize that women are a relatively scarce and valuable resource, especially since both promote marriage as essential for society. You'd be wrong.The "leftover women" campaigns are essentially designed to make women feel insecure bout their prospects, and so accept suitors and compromises that are completely opposed to their own self-interests. Let's not try to make men treat women well! Let's just get women to accept increasingly shoddy treatment!Domestic violence is clearly a problem in China, but it's not illegal. If a guy beat up someone on the street, he could be prosecuted; when he beats up his wife, it's OK- except that if she seeks help, SHE will be shamed and often attacked by society at large.It doesn't help that even though many women enter a marriage with assets similar to their spouse's- they don't get to keep them. She will put her saving into the down payment on a house or apartment; as will he, and often relatives of both spouses. However, the deed will be ONLY in his name- which legally means it's all his, even when she's paying half or more of the mortgage. The "leftover women" campaigns tell women that they're lucky to have a man at all, so should not complain about anything. And even if they do- there's usually less than no help.I am deeply interested in the social status and positions of women around the world, and this was an excellent summary of the situation in modern China. It's a bit dry, but has interviews and anecdotes that illustrate and illuminate many of the points, and the footnotes are impressive- I'll be reading more from them.I am also interested in the ways in which media propaganda- often "counter-factual" (i.e. bald-faced lies)- are used to manipulate people in general. Here's an excellent, detailed example.Note: I got an ARC of this book through LibraryThing.