’80s generation respects tradition

Once labeled as rebellious and spoiled, the generation born in the 1980s in Shanghai appears more respectful of tradition than the public commonly believes as reflected by their attitudes about work, marriage and children, a Fudan University survey concluded Tuesday.

The Fudan Yangtze River Delta Social Transformation Survey polled 2,367 men and women in Shanghai who were born from 1980 to 1989 to investigate the generation's attitudes about work and family life.

The generation accounts for about 5.6 million people in Shanghai, said Peng Xizhe, director of the State Innovative Institute for Public Management and Public Policy Studies at Fudan University.

"This generation, the first to grow up entirely in the reform era and China's one-child policy, currently ranges in age from 25 to 34, so it accounts for a major portion of China's young adult demographic and workforce," Peng said. "The generation's experience is valuable for studying how society is changing."

When it comes to their attitudes about love and marriage, more than 40 percent of respondents lived with their significant other before getting married, the survey results showed. More than 70 percent moved in together within a year after establishing a relationship.

For those who lived together before marriage, 60 percent said they were engaged with their boyfriend or girlfriend, the survey said. Only 5.5 percent said they never thought about marriage.

The results don't necessarily show that the generation has a casual attitude about sex, said Chen Binbin, one of the researchers who conducted the survey. "Instead, most of them chose to live with the person they would marry, so that they could get to know each other better," Chen said. "It might also be interpreted as they respect marriage and would like to discover any potential problems beforehand."

The survey results showed that the more time a couple lived together before marriage, the more satisfied they found their married life to be. Those who lived together for 25 months to 36 months were the most satisfied, according to the survey.

Only 5 percent of respondents favored a naked wedding, which means getting married without an apartment, car or wedding reception.

However, the respondents listed living habits, personality and intelligence as their most valued characteristics in a life partner, so the generation isn't so obsessed with money, Chen said.