A guide for the unmarried, the uncertain, and those already inside marriage

Marriage remains emotionally charged whether or not we choose it. Why do unhappy parents still urge the next generation to marry and have children? Why does being single require an explanation while marrying does not? Can people love for a lifetime without marrying? Why do housework, money, sex, children, and extended family become sources of conflict?

Using sociology, demography, gender studies, data, and interviews, marriage and family researcher Yu Jia examines both our desire for intimacy and our suspicion, fear, or rejection of marriage.

Marriage as an institution—and a choice

The course asks why this troublesome institution has survived for millennia, whether it may disappear, what legal marriage changes, and how cohabitation and single life widen the range of possibilities. It then enters the household to examine partner selection, domestic labor, property, childbearing, sexuality, violence, generational power, divorce, and remarriage.

We have gained the freedom to choose, but we also bear the responsibility of exploration. There are no ready-made answers or standard templates. Perhaps our generation is the one finding the path.

— Yu Jia

For those who reject marriage, the series considers how to build a full single life in a marriage-centered society. For those deciding, it clarifies what marriage actually is. For those already married, it offers perspective and strength to re-examine the relationship.

May we see more clearly—and still dare to love.