Ideas about family formation among Chinese international students of diverse sexual identities.

Abstract

Planning for marriage and childbearing is an important part of many young adults' lives. In this study, we investigated ways in which ideas about family formation among Chinese international students were associated with personal, interpersonal, and cultural factors. In total, 265 childless Chinese international students (Mage = 23 years; all cisgender) in the United States participated in an online survey; 210 self-identified as heterosexual and 55 as sexual minority individuals. Results showed that sexual minority students chose older ideal ages for marriage and parenthood than did heterosexual students. Moreover, sexual minority students were more likely to see the United States and other regions where same-sex marriage is legal as ideal places to live after marriage, but heterosexual students were more likely to describe China as ideal. In reality, however, many students expected to return home to China, and there were no differences in their expectations as a function of sexual identities. In addition, students who reported greater acculturation to culture of the United States were more likely to choose the United States as the ideal place to live. Students who endorsed the importance of filial piety and who perceived more support from family were more likely to view China as the ideal place to live. Finally, sexual minority students who wanted to become parents chose a greater variety of pathways to parenthood than did heterosexual students. Results highlighted the role of sexual orientation, social support, and cultural ideals in shaping the ways Chinese students thought about future families. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).