ABSTRACT
This conclusion presents some closing thoughts on the concepts covered in the preceding chapters of this book. Through the single Chinese professional women's courtship experiences and partner choice processes, it has been revealed that their 'leftover statuses' were not self-imposed, and were a result of the patriarchal constraints that marked their relationship paths. It should be made clear that 'leftover men' are those on the lowest rungs of the socioeconomic ladder often referred to as 'D-grade' men, and 'leftover women' are those on the highest rungs of the socioeconomic ladder known as 'A-grade' women. The fact that there are so many women in this study who had once dealt with, or had experiences of dating men with lower economic statuses best reveals this new matchmaking reality. It is evident that the present 'leftover women' problem cannot be seen in isolation when considering the wider partnering situation of both Chinese women and men.
