Abstract
<p>Theories of individualization posit a transformation of relationship ideals: instrumental, role-based marital arrangements give way to partnerships premised on autonomy, emotional fulfillment, and mutual compatibility. This process, however, is unlikely to unfold in a gender-neutral fashion. Drawing on a factorial survey experiment with 1,225 never-married adults in China’s largest metropolises, this study examines how women and men evaluate potential partners’ sociodemographic and ideational attributes across marriage and dating contexts, and the extent to which they seek compatibility with their own characteristics and values. We find that women’s ideals align far more closely with individualized partnership than men’s: alongside a partner’s socioeconomic standing, women reward egalitarian traits such as a willingness to share housework and remain neutral toward partners who intend to stay childfree—an intention men strongly penalize. Moreover, whereas men apply fixed, absolute standards to ideational attributes, women evaluate them relationally, seeking alignment between a partner’s values and their own, particularly in the context of marriage. These gender asymmetries are consistent with a process of individualization that remains profoundly uneven and gendered.</p>