Title：Only Daughters, Families, and Wealth Accumulation in Contemporary China
Speaker：Ye Liu (Reader, Department of International Development, King’s College London, UK)
Chair：Lake Lui（Professor of Sociology, NTU）
Time：April 9, 2026 (Thu.) 12:30–14:00
Venue：Department of Sociology and Social Work R319
Registration：https://forms.gle/QJzbs47PHAyXJvGy6
About the Speech
This talk examines wealth accumulation among only daughters in China’s one-child generation, challenging conventional family-based perspectives. It proposes a life-course framework that views families as dynamic and interconnected sites of wealth transfer. Drawing on 82 interviews, the study shows that only daughters often receive significant resources across key life stages, but their access to marital wealth remains constrained by patriarchal expectations, particularly around childbearing. The findings highlight both opportunities and enduring gender inequalities in family-based wealth dynamics.
About the Speaker
Ye Liu is a Reader (Associate Professor) in the Department of International Development at King’s College London. Her research examines the long-term impacts of China’s one-child policy on gender relations, social attitudes, and demographic change. She is the author of Higher Education, Meritocracy and Inequality in China (2016) and the forthcoming Only Daughters (Princeton University Press). Her work has been published in leading sociology and education journals and recognized with a nomination for the 2025 Sage Prize. She also contributes to public outlets such as The Conversation and Foreign Affairs, and her research has been featured in major international media.
