Liberating or Disciplining? A Technofeminist Analysis of the use of Dating Apps Among Women in Urban China

Chan, Lik Sam

doi:10.1093/ccc/tcy004

Cited by 43 publications

(43 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…To explain these similar prevalence rates, some authors, such as Chan [ 27 ], have proposed a feminist perspective, stating that women use dating apps to gain greater control over their relationships and sexuality, thus countering structural gender inequality. On the other hand, other authors have referred to the perpetuation of traditional masculinity and femmephobic language in these applications [ 28 , 53 ].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dating Apps and Their Sociodemographic and Psychosocial Correlates: A Systematic Review

Castro

Barrada

2020

IJERPH

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The emergence and popularization of dating apps have changed the way people meet and interact with potential romantic and sexual partners. In parallel with the increased use of these applications, a remarkable scientific literature has developed. However, due to the recency of the phenomenon, some gaps in the existing research can be expected. Therefore, the objective of this study was to conduct a systematic review of the empirical research of the psychosocial content published in the last five years (2016–2020) on dating apps. A search was conducted in different databases, and we identified 502 articles in our initial search. After screening titles and abstracts and examining articles in detail, 70 studies were included in the review. The most relevant data (author/s and year, sample size and characteristics, methodology) and their findings were extracted from each study and grouped into four blocks: user dating apps characteristics, usage characteristics, motives for use, and benefits and risks of use. The limitations of the literature consulted are discussed, as well as the practical implications of the results obtained, highlighting the relevance of dating apps, which have become a tool widely used by millions of people around the world.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dating Apps and Their Sociodemographic and Psychosocial Correlates: A Systematic Review

Castro

Barrada

2020

IJERPH

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“…While a representational perspective analyses gendered discourse within mediated communication (Peng, Cummings, & Li, 2020;Wallis & Shen, 2018), technofeminism involves analysing gender dynamics in the everyday use of digital technologies and the role technology plays in configuring gender dynamics in society (Chan, 2018;Wallis, 2013). Chinese techno-feminists focuses mainly on the interactions between female users and digital technologies (Chan, 2018;Wallis, 2013), with very limited scholarly attention paid to the pivotal role high-tech professionals play in these processes (Sun, 2019). Addressing this omission, I have sought to shed new light on the relationship between digital technologies, their users, and designers.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Locative dating apps are an emerging type of smartphone apps, which are specifically designed to facilitate matchmaking between strangers (Liu, 2016). Through interviews with young, middle-class urbanites, Chan (2018) discovered that locative dating apps were employed by many female users to express their sexual desires, enjoy the pleasure of gazing at male bodies, and report sexual harassment when encountering such issues on the apps. However, Chan (2018, p. 298) notes that the feminist potential of locative dating apps is restricted by the 'structural gender inequality embedded in the sexual double standard, marriage expectations, and state policies', which influence female users' everyday engagement with digital technologies.…”

Section: A Techno-feminist Approachmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…While existing techno-feminist literature has provided insights into the interplay between gender and technology in the Chinese context (Chan, 2018;Wallis, 2013), much of it focuses on female users' experience of interacting with technologies. Little attention has been paid to the high-tech industry (Sun, 2019), which is key to the engineering of the technological architecture that influences women's everyday experience of technology use (Wajcman, 2004).…”

Section: A Techno-feminist Approachmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A techno-feminist analysis of beauty app development in China’s high-tech industry

Peng

2021

Journal of Gender Studies

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Drawing on a techno-feminist approach, this article foregrounds the socio-technological process of beauty app development in China's hightech industry. I conducted semi-structured interviews with ten professionals, six women and four men, who previously worked at a leading Chinese high-tech company and participated in the development of a pioneer, popular beauty app -BeautyCam (Meiyan Xiangji). The research findings reveal that Chinese high-tech professionals often perceive the development of beauty apps as providing female users with a sense of empowerment and facilitating the inclusion of female professionals in the high-tech industry. Despite this feminist veneer, beauty app development poses no challenge to the status quo in Chinese society. Instead, it supports an underlying gendered logic not only by reinforcing existing standards of beauty but also in creating a niche job market that restricts female professionals' career development. The discussion sheds light on the intersection of gender and technology in an East Asian context where neoliberal pseudo-feminism is evidently on the rise.

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“…Blocking someone is when users select a function on an app to prevent another user from contacting them and being blocked is when someone is prevented from contacting another user [5]. Users may block others because of harassment, lack of attractiveness, screening for time-wasters, racism (individuals blocking users who might be/have been racist towards them), perceived HIV risk, privacy and safety concerns [5,6,7,8]. Blocking can be a protective behavior for the person doing the blocking and also a negative behavior associated with increased anxiety, distress, isolation for the person who was blocked [5,6].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Blocking and Being Blocked on Gay Dating Apps Among MSM Attending a Sexual Health Clinic: An Observational Study

Kumar

Forastiere

Janmohamed

et al. 2021

Preprint

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Background: While studies on blocking, a behavior on dating apps, and men who have sex with men (MSM) health outcomes have been conducted in other nations, albeit limited and mostly using qualitative techniques, no such study has been conducted in China, de-spite its large MSM population and relationship between Chinese MSM gay app use and health outcomes. We studied the correlates of blocking on the world’s largest gay dating app among Chinese MSM (N=208). Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey as part of an HIV testing intervention in Guangzhou, China, May - December 2019. Using logistic regression models, we estimated the cor- relates of blocking. Results: MSM had a mean age of 27. years (SD=7.1) and median of sexual partner in the last three months. About 62% had blocked someone in their lifetime and 46% had been blocked in their lifetime. Each additional male partner was associated with an 87% (aOR=1.87, 95%CI= 1.03, 3.40) increased chance of being blocked.Conclusions: Number of male partners may be associated with blocking behavior, with implications for the design of online sexual health interventions.

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Liberating or Disciplining? A Technofeminist Analysis of the use of Dating Apps Among Women in Urban China

Cited by 43 publications

References 23 publications

Dating Apps and Their Sociodemographic and Psychosocial Correlates: A Systematic Review

Dating Apps and Their Sociodemographic and Psychosocial Correlates: A Systematic Review

A techno-feminist analysis of beauty app development in China’s high-tech industry

Blocking and Being Blocked on Gay Dating Apps Among MSM Attending a Sexual Health Clinic: An Observational Study

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