Chang Qing, Wu Penghui, Wang Sensen, Zhang Ming
Faculty of Educational Sciences, Xinjiang Hetian College, Hetian, China.
Center for Studies of Education and Psychology of Ethnic Minorities in Southwest China, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.
PLoS One. 2025 Sep 8;20(9):e0331744. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0331744. eCollection 2025.
Educational hypogamy, where women marry men with lower educational attainment, reflects evolving gender roles and societal norms. In China, the rapid expansion of education, coupled with persistent traditional values, provides a unique context to study this phenomenon.
Using data from the 2013, 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2021 waves of the China General Social Survey (CGSS), this study applies logistic regression models and Random Forest machine learning techniques to analyze the impact of education on women's selection of hypogamy. Key control variables include age, income, parental education, and household registration, with a focus on urban-rural differences.
Between 2013 and 2021, the proportion of women choosing hypogamy increased from 17.42% to 20.06%. As education levels rose, so did the likelihood of choosing hypogamy, particularly among women with higher educational attainment. Other factors such as income and parental education displayed complex interactions with hypogamy, with urban women experiencing more nuanced influences compared to rural women, who showed a clearer education-driven pattern. The random forest analysis further confirmed education as the most significant predictor of hypogamy.
DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION: The rise in educational hypogamy highlights women's increasing autonomy and challenges to traditional gender norms, especially in rural areas where education's impact is more pronounced. Urban-rural disparities suggest the need for targeted policies to promote gender equality. Future research should examine the long-term implications of educational hypogamy on household and child-rearing dynamics.
教育下嫁，即女性嫁给受教育程度较低的男性，反映了不断演变的性别角色和社会规范。在中国，教育的迅速扩张，再加上传统价值观的持续存在，为研究这一现象提供了独特的背景。
本研究使用2013年、2015年、2017年、2018年和2021年中国综合社会调查（CGSS）的数据，应用逻辑回归模型和随机森林机器学习技术来分析教育对女性选择下嫁的影响。关键控制变量包括年龄、收入、父母教育程度和户籍，重点关注城乡差异。
2013年至2021年期间，选择下嫁的女性比例从17.42%上升至20.06%。随着教育水平的提高，选择下嫁的可能性也增加了，尤其是在受教育程度较高的女性中。收入和父母教育程度等其他因素与下嫁呈现出复杂的相互作用，城市女性受到的影响比农村女性更为细微，农村女性则呈现出更明显的受教育程度驱动模式。随机森林分析进一步证实教育是下嫁最重要的预测因素。
讨论/结论：教育下嫁现象的增加凸显了女性自主权的增强以及对传统性别规范的挑战，尤其是在教育影响更为显著的农村地区。城乡差距表明需要制定针对性政策来促进性别平等。未来的研究应考察教育下嫁对家庭和育儿动态的长期影响。
