About the Seminar
Sex selection in favour of boys and mass emigration of young women have led to the so-called army of ‘forced bachelors’, men who remain single, in several Asian countries such as China, India and Vietnam. Most research to date on the impact of the female deficit paints a dramatic and negative picture of these ‘forced bachelors’. The papers in the themed section are based on original, in-depth field research and offer fresh evidence that reflects the complexity of their situation and provide nuanced narratives of unmarried men’s lives. They show that the current situation of unmarried men cannot be reduced to the impact of imbalanced sex ratios but is located within a more complex intersection of economic, socio-cultural, demographic and development processes. The papers give voice to unmarried men and their families on their situation, experiences and interpretations of their own lives. They examine how unmarried men, their families and local communities in China, India and Vietnam are adapting to the new demographic structure. In sum, the papers show the complexity of the phenomenon and the impossibility to isolate the impact of the relative number of men to women from migration patterns, labour market opportunities, socioeconomic development, evolving social norms, family relations, marriage patterns and the well-being of individuals. Taken together, the papers show commonalities and differences between the countries studied and underscore the relevance of a comparative perspective.
About the Speakers
Sharada Srinivasan is Associate Professor in Gender, Justice and Development at the University of Guelph Guelph, Ontario, and currently at NIAS working on demographic shifts and gender in Asia. She works together with Daniele Belanger from the University of Laval, Canada.
About NIAS Seminars
NIAS Seminars are organised by the Rector of the Institute. They are meant to appeal to interested parties from a wide range of backgrounds and are aimed to encourage closer contact within the Dutch academic world.
NIAS Seminars take place in the Lecture Room (NIAS, Meijboomlaan 1, Wassenaar, telephone 070-512 27 00). This Seminar starts at 16.00 hours and ends at 17.00. Everyone is welcome to attend the seminar and join the discussion. However, since changes in the programme may occur, please let us know if you wish to attend. For further information, contact Communication.