Abstract:

The core in the kinship system in China is ancestor worship and the idea of carrying on the family name through procreation. These cultural norms are in direct confrontation with the birth control policy in contemporary China. On the one side are the familyplanning laws backed by the powerful and unyielding state apparatus; on the other side are the ancient reproductive norms supported by reviving lineage networks. Even though the state has succeeded in reducing the overall birthrates dramatically， analyses of villagelevel data have shown that villages with strong kinship ties tend to have a higher birthrate. The study demonstrates how informal social networks can bend the iron bars of the formal institutions.

Key words: birth rate, family planning, formal system, informal system, lineage networks, social networks