Page 90 - IJPS-11-3

International Journal of
Population Studies Low fertility intentions in China

prioritizing self-fulfillment, career progression, and are designed to enable individuals to balance career
personal goals over societal norms related to marriage and aspirations with parenthood without perceiving family
childbearing. This aligned with the concept of individualism life as an obstacle to personal fulfillment. Research
defined by Hofstede (2010), where individualistic values consistently shows that when individuals feel supported
including individual freedom, autonomy, achievement, in their dual roles as professionals and parents, they are
and goals are highly prioritized by respondents rather than more likely to view parenthood as compatible with their
the collectivism values that hope for family expansion. The personal ambitions (Thévenon, 2011). These policies do
shift from collectivism values toward individualistic values more than just incentivize family growth; they create an
often leads to low fertility intentions for a second child environment where individuals can thrive both personally
and limited family size as individuals navigate the tension and professionally, proving that autonomy and family
between their personal aspirations and broader social expansion can coexist (Goldscheider et al., 2015).
expectations (Lesthaeghe, 2010). Yan’s (2010) findings on Moreover, the tension between personal freedom
the increasing trend of individualism in Chinese society
align with these conclusions, where personal autonomy and and societal expectations to marry and have children
reinforces the need for cultural shifts alongside policy
self-actualization are prioritized over family expansion.
changes (Neyer & Hoem, 2008). Many respondents,
From a sociological perspective, these dynamics particularly women, reported feeling that parenthood
highlight the phenomenon of societal and cultural lag, would limit their opportunities for self-actualization.
where the rapid pace of urbanization and globalization Addressing this requires not only policy initiatives that
outstrips the evolution of societal norms. In China, as in support career development and family planning but also
other rapidly urbanizing societies, traditional expectations cultural campaigns that promote the idea that parenthood
for family expansion lag behind rising trends of and personal fulfillment can coexist. By fostering a
individualism and self-actualization (Bachrach & Morgan, societal mindset where family and career are seen as
2013). This misalignment creates friction, particularly for complementary rather than conflicting, policymakers
those choosing to delay or forego childbearing altogether, can reconcile individualistic values with family growth,
underscoring the need for policies that can reconcile encouraging sustainable fertility.
personal autonomy with societal goals for sustainable
fertility. Furthermore, the study underscores the importance of
reducing the childcare burden, which many respondents
There is a noticeable trace of individualistic values identified as a key barrier to expanding their families.
orientation in the theme of conscious choice to remain Spreading between individualistic desires and the
childless. This decision, rooted in a desire for personal demands of childcare left many respondents feeling they
fulfillment and the belief that parenthood would restrict had little room to consider having additional children.
their professional and lifestyle ambitions, exemplifies the Expanding affordable, high-quality childcare services and
broader trend toward individualization described by Kim encouraging shared caregiving responsibilities between
(1995) and Hofstede (2001). The increasing focus on self- parents would significantly alleviate this burden, allowing
fulfillment redefines family structures and emphasizes the individuals to pursue both personal fulfillment and family
need for fertility policies that respect and accommodate expansion (McDonald, 2008).
these lifestyle choices.
4.3. Limitations
For policymakers, the challenge lies in designing family
planning policies that integrate individual autonomy The present study and its results have limitations. First,
with the goals of family growth. Traditional pro-natalist respondents were self-selecting. The individuals who chose
policies that emphasize financial incentives alone are to publicly discuss their fertility intentions on Weibo might
unlikely to sway individuals motivated by individualistic be systematically different from those who did not. This
values. Instead, policies must promote work-life balance, can potentially introduce self-selection bias into this study.
flexibility, and career progression, allowing individuals Second, we acknowledge that using Weibo as the sole source
to view parenthood as compatible with their personal for data collection may introduce a bias, as individuals
aspirations rather than an obstacle to self-fulfillment. who actively post on the platform might have stronger
This approach is strongly supported by the global trend of opinions or be more engaged with the issue compared to
family-friendly policies that aim to enable individuals to the general population. This could result the lack of sample
integrate parenthood with their personal ambitions – such diversity. However, it is important to note that the findings
as fostering gender equality, flexible work arrangements, are framed within the Weibo-using population, rather than
and career development opportunities. These policies generalizable to the entire population of China. While the

Volume 11 Issue 3 (2025) 84 https://doi.org/10.36922/ijps.5124