Leftover Women in China : Understanding Legal Consciousness through Intergenerational Relationships

Abstract

Leftover Women in China offers an intimate empirical and theoretical analysis of the lived experience and legal consciousness of China’s “leftover women,” women who remain unmarried in their late twenties and beyond. Drawing on in-depth interviews and focus groups, Qian Liu examines how leftover women—including women who prefer to remain single, those who are waiting for the right husband, and queer women—deal with parental and social pressure, as well as the denial of their right to have children outside of heterosexual marriage. Sensitively exploring the distinctive patterns of parent-child interactions in Chinese families, Liu invites readers to understand leftover women’s observance, evasion, and manipulation of the law in the context of intergenerational relationships and obligations. “Gives voice to women in China, from diverse walks of life, who do not or cannot get married. By centering the profound role of intergenerational relationships in these women’s lives, this book breaks new ground in the study of legal consciousness.” — LYNETTE J. CHUA, author of The Politics of Rights and Southeast Asia “Qian Liu has written a terrific study of China’s so‑called leftover women. Drawing on women’s stories, including her own, Liu’s explanations are fascinating, often counterintuitive, and always persuasive.” — DAVID ENGEL, author of The Myth of the Litigious Society: Why We Don’t Sue “Captivating. Liu’s groundbreaking theory of relation‑based legal consciousness will have a significant impact on sociolegal studies, legal anthropology, and gender and family research.” — SIDA LIU, coauthor of Criminal Defense in China: The Politics of Lawyers at Work “Rich ethnographic data from so‑called leftover women, as well as many of their parents, inform Liu’s beautifully written book. A timely contribution.” — ETHAN MICHELSON, author of Decoupling: Gender Injustice in China’s Divorce Courts