Bride Prices

In the United States people bristle at the thought of paying for a bride. Not so in all countries. The practice in China gives us an explicit example of the effects of supply and demand on price.  It’s one-child policy is now affecting the number women compared to men of marrying age, along with an increase in income, is raising the price men must for a bride. The negotiations occur in a ritual called chuanmen. This NPR story provides an example for the classroom when teaching Chapters 4 and 5 in Colander’s Principles of Economics.

First Published : April 23, 2013

 

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