Chinese Sociological Review

The ultra-low fertility has emerged as a significant demographic feature within East Asian societies. This precipitous drop in fertility poses multifaceted challenges to these societies, affecting old-age support, healthcare provision, family dynamics, and broader public policy domains such as labor market supply and education system. Central to the discourse on this demographic shift is recognizing work-family conflict and social ideational changes as primary drivers of reduced fertility rates. Yet, the prevailing academic discourse on this subject has predominantly been framed within the context of the nuclear family and individualism, perspectives deeply rooted in Western societies. There has been a conspicuous absence of research investigating the impact of cultural dynamics, institutional changes, and extended family contexts on these theoretical frameworks.

To develop a nuanced understanding of this phenomenon, it is crucial to discern the degree to which East Asian societies exhibit distinct patterns in their fertility trends and the unique determinants of ultra-low fertility. Such an understanding has far-reaching implications for household expenditure, child development, intergenerational relations, and women's empowerment.  Moreover, the dynamics of regional population mobility and migration are intricately linked to the fertility decline, highlighting the increasing importance of immigration in reshaping family behaviors and population structures.

By expanding upon the existing Western-centric literature and honing in on the unique context of East Asian societies, researchers endeavor to enhance cross-cultural academic dialogue. Against this backdrop, the Chinese Sociological Review (CSR) invites papers for a special issue on “Low Fertility Challenges in East Asia Societies.” It aims to delineate the region-specific attributes of fertility trends and their potential family and societal consequences. Authors are invited to submit papers considering various aspects of low fertility challenges in East Asia. We are interested in studies that adopt a comparative perspective or offer multi-disciplinary approaches. We particularly encourage papers focused on fertility, marriage dynamics, care resources allocation, and their related societal, institutional, and cultural changes. Papers that address one or more of the flowing topics are particularly welcome:

• Low fertility and childlessness
• Union formation and childbearing pathways
• Couple dynamics and fertility outcome
• Social policy and fertility
• Reproductive Health
• Low Fertility and the Second Demographic Transition
• Intergenerational relations and fertility
• Fertility intentions over the life course
• Determinants of fertility attitudes and behaviors
• COVID-19 and fertility
• New measurement approaches, new methods, new designs, and new data sources in fertility

Authors who want their work to be considered for publication in this special issue should email a proposal with the header (CSR Low Fertility) to [email protected] by June 30, 2024. The body of the email should include the following text: Attention: Guest Editors Yuying Tong, The Chinese University of Hong Kong; Jia Yu, Peking University. At the journal editor's discretion, papers not selected for the thematic issue may be referred for general review at CSR.

Proposals should be about 1,000 words in total. They should include theoretical and/or empirical approaches to address the special issue theme and/or how the proposed study will advance knowledge about child development and socioeconomic attainment in the Chinese context.

Proposals submitted before the deadline will be selected based on their theoretical and/or practical contributions. By August 15, 2024, the editorial team will notify authors of selected proposals to submit a full paper (no more than 9,000 words) by December 31, 2024. A workshop may be organized in Jan 2025 for selected paper authors to receive feedback on their manuscripts. The special issue is expected to be published online in Fall 2025.

Chinese Sociological Review (CSR) (Print ISSN: 2162-0555 Online ISSN: 2162-0563), founded in 1968, publishes high-quality original work from sociologists and other social scientists. The mission of the journal is to advance the understanding of contemporary Chinese society and contribute to general knowledge in the discipline of sociology. All research articles will undergo a rigorous editorial screening and peer review process. The journal is intended for an international readership and is now published by Taylor & Francis Inc., 530 Walnut Street, Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106.

For more information, please visit https://www.tandfonline.com/journals/mcsa20

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