Gaetano presents international research on gender, family change
Arianne Gaetano, associate professor of anthropology at Auburn University, recently delivered an invited talk at the Centre for the Study of Social Inequality at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore.
Titled, “Leftover to Opting Out: Single Women Negotiating Gender Inequality in Taiwan and China,” Gaetano’s lecture explored how shifting social and economic conditions are reshaping marriage, family life and gender expectations in East Asia. The talk drew on her ongoing fieldwork in Taiwan, which is supported by a prestigious Fulbright U.S. Scholar award.
Currently serving as a 2025–26 Fulbright U.S. Senior Scholar at National Cheng Kung University, Gaetano is conducting ethnographic research on changing marriage patterns and the rise of singlehood in Taiwan. Her work examines how highly educated women in both Taiwan and China are delaying marriage or opting out entirely, often in response to persistent gender and intergenerational inequalities.
In her talk, Gaetano highlighted how these women are redefining traditional expectations. As they remain single longer and embrace values such as autonomy and gender equality, they challenge longstanding patriarchal norms surrounding marriage and family life. Drawing on in-depth interviews with unmarried women in Shanghai and Taiwan, she analyzed how inequality operates both within the household and in broader public spheres.
Gaetano is also a faculty affiliate in women’s and gender studies at Auburn. Her broader research agenda focuses on gender, social mobility and inequality in contemporary China and Taiwan. In addition to her work on marriage and family change, she leads a study examining the experiences of Asian transnational students in U.S. higher education.
Her invited lecture at NTU reflects the global relevance of her research and underscores Auburn Anthropology’s growing international presence in the study of social inequality and gender dynamics.
Tags: Faculty Research Anthropology
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