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)ORULGD6WDWH8QLYHUVLW\/LEUDULHV 2021 Dating Dichotomy: The Portrayal of Dating Culture in China and the United States through Reality Dating Television Shows Marion C Harper Follow this and additional works at DigiNole: FSU's Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected] THE FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AND PUBLIC POLICY DATING DICHOTOMY: THE PORTRAYAL OF DATING CULTURE IN CHINA AND THE UNITED STATES THROUGH REALITY DATING TELEVISION SHOWS By MARION C. HARPER A Thesis submitted to the Department of Sociology in partial fulfillment of the requirements for graduation with Honors in the Major Degree Awarded: Spring, 2022 The members of the Defense Committee approve the thesis of Marion C. Harper defended on March 31, 2021. Dr. Shantel G. Buggs Thesis Director Dr. Annika A. Culver Outside Committee Member Dr. Teresa Roach Committee Member Signatures are on file with the Honors Program office. ABSTRACT This study is a comparative content analysis of two dating competition reality television shows: The Bachelor, based in the United States, and If You Are the One based in China. One season of each show, a total of 23 episodes, was used to compare the dating cultures of China and the United States of America. Even though both Chinese and American contestants were seeking a relationship, their approaches were distinctive. The most significant differences were the frequency of physical touch and interactions between contestants. More specifically, the women on If You Are the One were leading the interactions with the men, whereas The Bachelor was led by the man. With the prevalence of the internet and media, there might be misconceptions that dating has become more standardized around the world. However, despite increasing globalization, China and the United States still maintain distinct characteristics in terms of dating practices. INTRODUCTION The first introduction of reality TV to American television was “An American Family” on PBS in 1973 (Hathaway 2017). Since then, reality television has grown from observational filming to produced staged dramas. It’s difficult to encapsulate this genre due to the wide variety of shows that are included, from Survivor to Keeping Up With the Kardashians. Using the word “reality” to describe this genre of television has long been considered a misnomer. This thesis will focus on the subgenre, reality dating shows. The most notable example of an American reality dating show, The Bachelor, began 2002 and launched a sensational franchise spanning 19 years. The Chinese equivalent of The Bachelor is If You Are the One (abbreviated to IYATO), which first aired in 2014. The contestants on both shows are looking for romantic love. The shows have lasted so long because they are based on the need for love and how to find it (Yahr 2020). Reality dating television programs combine two very important institutions in society: media and the family. It is important to note these forces as we begin to understand how reality dating television shows are a reflection of specific components of society that have shaped how dating, marriage, gender, and sexuality have been contextualized in different cultures. There are specific social forces that have perpetuated differences in Chinese and American dating markets that manifest on these reality dating shows. This thesis will analyze how two competitive reality television shows, The Bachelor (US) and IYATO (China), (1) embody different dating cultures, (2) convey messages about gender to audiences, and (3) illustrate what cultural factors influence the structure and representation of love and relationships within these particular types of shows. LITERATURE REVIEW Despite Chinese youth becoming more progressive in their marriage and dating habits (Blair and Madigan 2016) there are still deep-rooted cultural expectations for heterosexual marriage. The results of one study found that Chinese men and women put increased value on good financial prospects and decreased value on virginity when looking for a partner compared to 25 years prior (Chang et al. (2011). Chang and colleagues (2011) argue that the increased importance of financial prospects is due to China’s economic reform and increased GDP over the last 25 years. The decreased value of virginity is because of young adults having an increased openness to premarital sex (Chang et al. 2011). Therefore, women who decide not to marry or delay marriage for professional reasons are subject to scrutiny by society. Young women face intense social pressure to enter heterosexual marriages, as Chinese women who remain unmarried by their late twenties are labeled a “sheng nü ()” or leftover woman (Gui 2016). This pressure to find a partner places very high expectations on potential suitors, for both men and women. As reality television has also made its rise globally in the last two decades, it is important to understand how cultural shifts in what is valued in a romantic partner are manifested in shows like the Chinese dating show, IYATO, and what observable differences might exist between it and the most popular U.S. franchise, The Bachelor. There are multiple differences in Chinese and United States society that influence dating patterns. In 1980, the one-child policy was instituted in China to try to limit population growth; this meant that most families could only have one child (Pletcher 2015). Male children were vastly preferred over female children because men will carry on the family name and it is expected for men to take care of their parents when they grow old (Pletcher 2015). This gender preference led to abortions of female fetuses, abandonment, or infanticide of baby girls (Pletcher 2015). Although this policy was discontinued in 2016, the one-child policy has created a lasting gender imbalance that has left many heterosexual men without any women to marry. There are more than 34 million more men than women in the dating market in China (Denyer & Gowen 2018). The competition to marry the few women that are available has put immense strain on families, as it is seen as a failure if your son remains unmarried (Sun 2017). Parents work hard to make their sons appealing suitors; they invest heavily in their children’s education in an effort to strengthen their class status (Ponzini 2020). Parents also save money to buy their sons an apartment since it is considered a requirement for marriage and suggests the ability to afford a “bride price,” a monetary incentive for future in-laws’ approval (Denyer & Gowen 2018). Unmarried men are usually from rural villages and move into a larger city to work poor paying factory jobs to earn money in the hopes of getting married (Denyer & Gowen 2018). This gender imbalance has created a competitive dating market that privileges wealth and higher-class status. The prominence of collectivism in Chinese culture clearly informs dating culture. When looking for a partner, Chinese individuals consider more than their own personal feelings. They have to weigh what is best for their family when choosing a partner in addition to their own personal desires (Gao 2001). Chinese users on dating websites provide more information about their own health conditions, financial status, and education whereas American users focus more on their personality and hobbies (Ye 2006). Ye (2006) also found a similar pattern when comparing statements about mate preferences. When looking for a mate on dating websites, Chinese users placed more value on physical characteristics, financial status, and morality whereas American users emphasized personality and hobbies in their statements (Ye 2006). These differences are a few of several possible explanations for why reality dating shows in China and the U.S. would have different dynamics between men and women. In the U.S., parental approval of partners is less important in the relationship than in China; couples will often still get married without parental support (Whyte 1992). This “youth- driven” system of dating in the U.S. and lack of arranged marriages has enforced notions of individualism in relationships (Whyte 1992). Single Americans of all sexual orientations reported that they do not feel a lot of pressure to be in a committed relationship; only 11% reported a lot of pressure from society and only 10% reported a lot of pressure from family (Brown 2020). This is a stark contrast from the cultural expectations for Chinese singles to get married. In China it is expected for children to support their parents as they get older, which adds to the pressure to find a partner who will help share the burden (Winerman 2011). Assessing how contestants approach the possibility of a future relationship whether they discuss serious topics such as financial status, religion, or future goals/aspirations when determining compatibility or if they connect more superficially is central to evaluating the impacts of different cultural contexts on reality dating television. Television has always been a medium that conveys the cultural values and morals of the time period and place that they air (University of Minnesota 2016). There is a lot of thought that goes into the production, marketing, and distribution of television programs. What we see on TV might be idealized and unrealistic, but it still often speaks to majority opinions, beliefs, and norms of society (University of Minnesota 2016). The family has remained prominently featured on television (Betancourt 2015) in the United States. Families shown on TV have represented what is most acceptable or ideal when it comes to marriage and relationships, despite increased criticism of whether the “family sitcom” formula reflects contemporary families (Betancourt 2015). Media has the power to influence viewers attitudes and values. Even the earliest cartoons that children watch have moral lessons about right and wrong embedded into them; a 2016 study found that kids as young as four are beginning to internalize the messages of physical closeness, commitment, physical affection, physical attractiveness, and positive personality traits that Disney uses to show what love means and how it is displayed (Isaacson 2016).