Happy HAPP Spring Dialogues 2025!
The School of History, Anthropology, Philosophy and Politics has announced its Spring Dialogues to welcome a cohort of their students and alumni to share their research work at the Seminar Series, with Liang HE, a Chinese graduate in Philosophy, being the first one on its programme.
Liang has kindly shared her presentation information and abstract with our Chinese Culture Forum as below. She also would like to extend her invitation to all those who are interested in the topic.
Speaker: Liang HE, MSc International Public Policy
- Date: Monday 10th March 2025
- Time: 3:00-4:30 pm
- Channel: Online via Teams
- Registration: MS Forms (needs QUB login)
Abstract
Confucian Gender Norms, Patriarchy, and Capitalism: The ‘Privileged’ Middle-Class Chinese Daughter Under the One-Child Policy?
The one-child policy, enacted in China from the 1970s to 2015, has profoundly shaped the
experiences of urban women, particularly the daughters of the emerging middle class. Rooted in Confucian gender norms and reinforced by a patriarchal system, this policy has contributed to societal expectations that prioritize male offspring while simultaneously offering urban women increased access to resources and opportunities. As a result, these “privileged daughters” are often viewed as beneficiaries of urbanization and economic growth.
This paper employs Marxist feminist theory to explore the lives of Chinese middle-class daughters studying in the West. It examines the conflicting pressures they face between traditional gender roles – emphasizing marriage, motherhood, and filial piety – and the aspirations encouraged by a neoliberal environment. These women navigate a complex landscape where they must reconcile their pursuit of autonomy with societal expectations to provide for their families and uphold cultural traditions. By highlighting the experiences of these urban daughters, this research sheds light on how Confucian gender norms and capitalism intersect, revealing the challenges they encounter in balancing personal desires with familial obligations. Ultimately, this paper enhances our understanding of how the intersection of gender norms and capitalist structures shapes the experiences of urban middle-class daughters in contemporary China, revealing the complexities of their identities and the societal expectations they must navigate.
