Yen-hsin Alice Cheng (Doctora en Sociologia i Demografía per la Pennsylvania State University, EUA), és professora i investigadora a l’Institute of Sociology, a l’Academia Sinica, a Taipei (Taiwan).

Abstract.- This talk explores the ultra-low fertility phenomenon in East Asia from a comparative perspective. Changes in family behaviors in five societies will be presented: China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. These countries include 1/5 of the global population and are now home to the lowest fertility levels in the world. The talk will start by offering an overview of fertility decline to ultra-low levels and related family changes in the past decades . In addition, a special emphasis will be placed on Confucian culture and patriarchy, and how they affect gender relations that are closely linked to fertility. Given the paucity of non-marital births in this region, the talk will end with the prospect of marriage and its impact on the future of fertility in East Asia.

Bio.- Yen-hsin Alice Cheng is an associate professor and research fellow at the Institute of Sociology at Academia Sinica in Taipei, Taiwan. She received a PhD in Sociology and Demography from the Pennsylvania State University in the United States. She also spent two years as a post-doctoral fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research in Germany. Her main research interests include family demography, adolescent development, and health behaviors. Her recent research investigates the socio-economic differentials in marriage, divorce, and fertility over the past few decades in Taiwan. Her latest works also include studies on disadvantaged youths and families, as well as comparative studies on public attitudes toward homosexuality.

Previ al Col·loqui, de 10:40 a 11:00h, esteu tots convidats a l’Espai del cafè.