The 3rd gender and married students

[edelweis]

I saw a documentary about Chinese nationals studying in France.

 

They said that in China, university students (Chinese nationals) are not allowed to get married. This increases the pressure on young women to stop their studies after their 4-year degree, or, at most, after a master, so that they can get married before they become shengnü. Any information about this "law"? are there really no married students at all whatever the level of studies? (thinking about some medical specialties that require 10-13 years of study in Western countries).

 

They said that in Shanghai female doctoral students and female doctors are called "the third gender" (neither male nor female). What's the Chinese word for that? How common is this appellation?

 

[anonymoose]

There is no law like that now. In fact I'm not even sure that there ever was. I think it was just a rule enforced by the universities. And up until recently, women couldn't marry until they were 21 anyway.

[edelweis]

@anonymoose: thanks. Do you know any married Chinese students?

[skylee]

21? Wow. I suppose this was quite an effective birth control measure? What is the current legal age for marriage?

[li3wei1]

Back in 1986 or so I met a pair of Chinese chemistry graduate students in the US who were married to each other. I'm pretty sure they married before they left China.  Does that count?

[edelweis]

@liwei I don't know. The documentary implied that it was a Chinese university thing. But it was unclear what the penalty would be. I thought maybe the married students would be expelled or simply lose scholarship or dorm space, making it difficult for them to continue their studies unless they were from rich families...

Meanwhile I found this article which seems to imply that there was such a "law" or whatever it was, until 10 years ago
结婚禁令解除10年来千对大学生扯证 他们过得幸福吗

 

But I don't know what keyword to use for the 3rd gender thing, any idea?

[skylee]

Consider 3S lady http://baike.baidu.com/view/3049354.htm

[edelweis]

@skylee: thanks, that's an interesting one. Not sure whether there's another term.

This article in English also calls them sexless "third gender" with no mention of the seventies...

[Angelina]

I think it comes from the universities, not the central government. 

 

To be honest, some of my Chinese classmates have never even had a girlfriend/boyfriend, and these are graduate students in their mid-twenties. Those who are in a relationship are planning to get married after graduation. Dating is different in China. I am about to turn 27, luckily for me I look young   even for China.

 

The term people use to make fun of us is 女博士. 

[langxia]

some countries are just more strict than others, where I went to University in Austria you could bring your dog or kid to class if you wanted (well kids if they were babies) once I even had a classmate who was breastfeeding during class and even asking questions to the professor while doing so.

 

But then again the student population in Europe is different to the one in China, in China you don´t really have older folks at universities while here in Europe it is quite normal that you start studying when you are older. Also I never heard of senior students in China, or saw one (except in language classes) while in Europe there are a lot of em.

[陳德聰]

I suppose this was quite an effective birth control measure? What is the current legal age for marriage?

How recently was the age 21? It is 22 for men and 20 for women. This is also very much not an effective birth control measure. It just means that when youth don't use proper contraceptives they are subject to either the extremely invasive procedure of an abortion or the exhorbitant fee attached to having a child out of wedlock.

[anonymoose]

It was 20 for women? OK. Well recently they changed it to 18 for both men and women.

[陳德聰]

More recent than the 2015 新婚姻法???

 

http://www.66law.cn/tiaoli/1.aspx

 

http://www.lawtime.cn/info/hunyin/hunyinfagui/201411053308986.html

[edelweis]

@陳德聰 thanks for the reference. It says very plainly 20 for women and 22 for men.
There is also a mysterious (as in: I don't understand it) mention about 自治地方.
Can they have different rules?

@Angelina: thanks. Searching for 女博士+女性+男性+第三 gives all sorts of interesting results such as 第三性, 第三种人.
行走在男性和女性边缘——女博士“第三性”现象文化解读
女博士：第三种人？
也谈“第三类人”女博士
留洋女博士，她们不愁嫁

 

Still, I am not sure how common this third gender thing is...

[anonymoose]

OK, I don't know where I got that from. I'll shut up now.