Abstract
Social attitudes towards sexual activity of people with intellectual disabilities (ID) are historically negative, though they are now improving. However, marriage and procreation are distinctly common for women with ID in rural China. Based on ethnographic research in a village in North China, this article explores the social aspects of sexuality and marriage for women with ID through three cases. The socioeconomic context of rural society makes marriage for women with ID possible primarily because of their female body and biological attributes of reproduction. Being socially constructed as the embodiment of reproduction, women with ID lose their autonomy and face multiple risks in their experience of sexuality and marriage. Starting from the social constructionist view on intellectual disability, this article also highlights the importance of integrating social aspects in further research on sexuality, marriage and other issues around people with ID.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Notes
The location of ancestral grave or the conduct of ancestor is believed to have an influence on the fortune of his offspring.
Data from Statistic Bulletin of National Economy and Social Development in 2008.
1 yuan = 0.15 USD.
References
Alcorn, D.E.: Parental views on sexual development and education of the trainable mentally retarded. Journal of Special Education 8, 119–130 (1974)
Cuskelly, M., Bryde, R.: Attitudes towards the sexuality of adults with an intellectual disability: parents, support staff, and a community sample. Journal of Intellectual & Developmental Disability 29, 255–264 (2004)
Servais, L.: Sexual health care in persons with intellectual disabilities. Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities Research Reviews 12, 48–56 (2006)
Koller, H., Richardson, S.A., Katz, M.: Marriage in a young adult mentally retarded population. Journal of Mental Deficiency Research 32(Part 2), 93–102 (1988)
Castles, E.E.: “We are People First”: the Social and Emotional Lives of Individuals With Mental Retardation. Praeger, Westport, Connecticut (1996)
Jones, L.K., Binger, T.E., McKenzie, C.R., Ramcharan, P., Nankervis, K.: Sexuality, pregnancy and midwifery care for women with intellectual disabilities: a pilot study on attitudes of university students. Contemporary Nurse 35(1), 47–57 (2010)
Welfare house cut off uterus of young women to reduce the menstrual trouble. Nanjing Morning Post, 2005-04-21. Available at: http://news.sohu.com/20050421/n225272456.shtml. Accessed on 10 August 2009
Rembis, M.A.: Beyond the binary: rethinking the social model of disabled sexuality. Sex. Disabil. 28, 51–60 (2010)
Collins, C.: Reproductive technologies for women with physical disabilities. Sex. Disabil. 17(4), 299–307 (1999)
Cheng, T., Tang, C.: Stress appraisal and social support of Chinese mothers of adult children with mental retardation. American Journal on Mental Retardation 101, 473–482 (1997)
Tang, C.S., Davis, C., Wu, A., Oliver, C.: Chinese children’s attitudes toward mental retardation. Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities 12(1), 73–88 (2000)
Yang, K.S.: The Psychology and Behavior of Chinese: Indigenous Study. Renmin University Press, Beijing, China (2004)
Hahn, H.: The social component of sexuality and disability: some problems and proposals. Sex. Disabil. 4(4), 220–233 (1981)
Pan, J.H.: The further imbalanced gender ratio at birth and the male marriage squeeze of China in future. Population Journal 2, 20–25 (2007). (original in Chinese)
Yang, X.Z., Xun, M.L., Xie, L.J., Guan, K.Q., Wan, J.H., Ouyang, G.H., Chen, H.Q., Yi, W., Li, X.Y.: An investigation on the marital, child birth and rearing status of the handicapped and the quality characteristics of their children. Chinese Journal of Clinical Psychology 8(3), 156–159 (2000). (original in Chinese)
Wang, J.C.: The Protection and Restriction on the Reproduction Rights of People with Mental Retardation [Master thesis] (original in Chinese). Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou (2008)
Xia, Y.L.: Rights protection for the disability in marriage and family in China. Studies in Law and Business 23(6), 91–97 (2006). (original in Chinese)
McCarthy, M., Thompson, D.: A prevalence study of sexual abuse of adults with intellectual disabilities referred for sex education. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities 10(2), 105–124 (1997)
Xue, Z., Chen, X., Chen X.Q.: Analysis of sexual offending of women with ID in the countryside. Available at: http://rmfyb.chinacourt.org/public/detail.php?id=108463 (2007). Accessed on 20 October 2010
Shildrick, M., Mykitiuk, R.: Ethics of the Body: Postconventional Challenges. MIT Press, Cambridge, MA (2005)
Price, J., Shildrick, M.: Feminist Theory and the Body: a reader. Routledge, New York (1999)
Foucault, M.: Discipline and Punishment. Joint Publishing, Beijing (2007)
Shakespeare, T., Gillespie-Sells, K., Davies, D.: The Sexual Politics of Disability: Untold Desires. Cassell, London and New York (1996)
Fiduccia, B.W.: Current issues in sexuality and the disability movement. Sex. Disabil. 18(3), 167–174 (2000)
Aunos, M., Feldman, M.A.: Attitudes towards sexuality, sterilization and parenting rights of persons with intellectual disabilities. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disability 15, 285–296 (2002)
Prillentensky, O.: Motherhood and Disability: Children and Choices. Palgrave MacMillan, New York (2004)
Nirje, B.: (Classic article from 1969) The normalization principle and its human management implications. SRV-VRS: The International Social Role Valorization Journal 1(2), 19–23 (1994)
Acknowledgments
This research was made possible by the support of Chinese Universities Scientific Fund (15059501) and Program for New Century Excellent Talents in University (NCET-06-0118) (China). We wish to thank the anonymous reviewers for their very helpful comments and advice. We thank Prof. Norman Long and Prof. Tony Fuller for their advices during the research process and helping improve the English language of the paper.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Pan, L., Ye, J. Sexuality and Marriage of Women with Intellectual Disability in Male-Squeezed Rural China. Sex Disabil 30, 149–160 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11195-011-9232-6
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11195-011-9232-6