| While the general public recognizes the rapid growth of cohabitation in China, research was yet to be conducted on how Chinese young adults perceive premarital cohabitation. Young adults in China are very different from their counterparts in the West in terms of their views of marriage and cohabitation, not only because of the cultural difference but also their existing political and socio-economic situation.;This study explored Chinese young adults' perceptions of premarital cohabitation. Data were collected via semi-structured interview with 15 participants, aged between 24 and 35, who live in Beijing, China. Data were analyzed using grounded theory methods and procedures.;The central understanding to emerge from this study is that a framework I call "proxy-family" best explains study participants' perception of and decision to enter into a cohabitation relationship. Proxy-family framework indicates that when Chinese young adults decide to cohabit, they desire to have a relationship similar to a family that also provides them with companionship, sexual satisfaction, and economic benefit. |
