“My daughter got married”: intergenerational negotiation of weddings among well-educated urban women in post-patriarchal China

Abstract In post-patriarchal China, contemporary weddings are a key site for intergenerational negotiation, carrying conflicts and compromises shaped by cultural perceptions, gender ideologies and power dynamics. Through Critical Thematic Analysis (CTA) of interviews with 15 well-educated young brides from urban China, this study identifies four themes: a traditional vs. modern wedding debate; collaboration vs. control in intra-family relations; divergent vs. convergent expectations of wedding performances; and resistance vs. persistence of patriarchy. Critically analyzing each theme unveils several key findings: there are uncritical cultural identities across generations; unstable and uneven conditions of inverted families; intergenerational exploitation (one generation’s sacrifice serving another’s interests) based on gender bias and class disparities; and ambivalent gender perceptions of young brides and illusory gender equality (a superficial appearance of equality masking deeper inequalities) at weddings. Situated within the evolving socio-political, economic and cultural environment of contemporary China, this research highlights the complex interplay of cultural ideologies, gender perceptions, family values and intergenerational power dynamics in post-patriarchal Chinese society, offering a feminist critique of urban wedding negotiations.