Research On The Obstacles To The Remarriage Of The Widowed Old In Rural Areas From The Perspective Of Rational Choice

With the continuous acceleration of population aging in our country,the number of elderly widows in rural areas is constantly increasing,and a series of issues related to widowhood have become prominent.Multiple studies have shown that remarriage plays a positive role in the later life of widowed elderly people,and is of great significance in improving their later life.However,the elderly widowed in rural areas are experiencing a low number of remarriages and poor quality of remarriage.This paper selects village C in Hubei Province for field research,and uses questionnaire survey,in-depth interview and participatory observation to explore the barriers to remarriage of widowed elderly in rural areas from the perspective of rational choice.C Village is deeply affected by the working economy,resulting in severe population loss.The resident population is mostly elderly people over 60 years old.The transformation of elderly care concepts and the limitation of spatial distance have weakened the family elderly care function in rural areas.The author used a questionnaire survey method to analyze the individual characteristics and living conditions of widowed elderly people.The survey found that there are a large number of widowed elderly people in Village C,showing characteristics of aging and feminization.Their living conditions are poor: most elderly people live alone,lack financial resources,high medical expenses,and narrow social interactions.In addition,the elderly who have lost their spouse have a low willingness to remarry and a small number of remarriers,and they all adopt the informal form of remarriage in partnership for elderly care.By analyzing the current situation of remarriage among widowed elderly people in C village,this article analyzes the obstacles to remarriage among rural widowed elderly people from three aspects: personal,family,and social.Firstly,on a personal level.The criteria for remarriage and spouse selection for elderly widows in rural areas are utilitarian,with the aim of obtaining resource benefits.However,rural widowed elderly people lack their own resources and are unable to meet the requirements of remarriage market,making it difficult to match a satisfactory remarried spouse.Secondly,family barriers are mainly manifested in intergenerational relationships with children.Influenced by traditional family culture,the value of rural elderly people lies in serving the interests of the entire family.Therefore,when there is a conflict between the personal needs of widowed elderly people and the needs of their children,they will prioritize the interests of their children.In recent years,the family resource advantages and status of elderly people in rural areas have gradually weakened.In order to avoid conflicts with their offspring,when facing the issue of remarriage,the opinions of their children will be the main focus,and the majority of children oppose the remarriage of widowed elderly people.Thirdly,from a social perspective.The choice of remarriage for widowed elderly people is also constrained by traditional ideologies.Under the influence of concepts such as "starting from scratch",rural widowed elderly people will dispel the idea of remarriage and consider it shameful.Rural society still holds biases against elderly remarriage.In order to avoid public opinion attacks in the village and affect their reputation,most elderly people choose not to remarry.In addition,the stability of remarriage among elderly widows in rural areas is poor,and multiple cases of failed remarriage further reduce their willingness to remarry.Finally,the author draws the following conclusions and reflections: firstly,the phenomenon of rural widowed elderly people not remarriage is the result of the combined effect of internal and external factors.On the one hand,rural widowed elderly people hold a negative mentality towards remarriage,and on the other hand,they are also constrained by intergenerational relationships and social public opinion.Second,not to remarry is a rational choice for widowed old people to balance the advantages and disadvantages.When facing the problem of remarriage,rural elderly people often do not regard emotion as the first element,but a social exchange act to obtain resources and benefits,with the purpose of maximizing benefits.Thirdly,improving the rural social elderly care system is of great significance in addressing the issue of remarriage for widowed elderly people.