Intra-couple comparison, intra-gender comparison and class identity of Chinese couples

Abstract

As gender segregation decreases and women's education levels rise in Chinese society, there is growing interest in exploring how the social status of husbands and wives impacts their class identity. However, the role of relative social status in shaping couples' respective class identities remains less well understood. This research aims to address this gap by systematically examining the influence on couples' respective class identities of intra-couple comparisons between husbands and wives, as well as husbands' or wives' respective social comparisons with other individuals of the same gender in society, thus providing a comprehensive framework for understanding "intra-couple" and "intra-gender" comparisons in the context of class identity. Using data from the 2010–2018 China General Social Survey, our findings suggest that the relative social status of the husbands as compared to other married men in society, but not that of wives, plays a crucial role in shaping couples' respective class identities. This intra-gender comparison effect is stronger than intra-couple comparison and has remained relatively consistent over time. These findings align with the traditional Chinese gender norm that emphasizes "male dominance in the public sphere and female dominance in the private sphere" and provide valuable insights into the mechanisms underlying the formation of class identity among Chinese couples.