Gender and Low Fertility In East Asia

East Asia is home to some of the world's lowest-fertility societies. China, Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan have experienced sustained below-replacement fertility, delayed family formation, and rising singlehood, with important implications for population aging and population decline. Existing research has emphasized the role of gender inequality in shaping demographic behaviors across the region. Against this backdrop, this session brings together sociological and demographic research that advances our understanding of low fertility in East Asia and its relationship to gender. We seek contributions that examine how gendered institutions, norms, inequalities, and life-course processes shape fertility outcomes, as well as how persistent low fertility may transform family life, labor markets, and gender relations more broadly. We particularly welcome submissions that place East Asian societies in comparative perspective, whether through cross-national comparisons within East Asia or comparisons with other regions. At the same time, high-quality single-country studies that contribute to broader theoretical and empirical debates are also encouraged.