Theorising Chinese Masculinity: Society and Gender in China (review)

Xiao, Hong

doi:10.1353/cri.0.0000

Cited by 11 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…As a form of thinking that has been utilized since pre-modern China, the wen-wu dyad has often been utilized to theorize Chinese men’s masculinities (Hu, 2018; Kam, 2002; Kam and Edwards, 1994). Excluding women and non-Chinese men from interpretation (Kam and Edwards, 1994), ‘wen’, largely inspired and defined by Confucianism, representing civil conscientiousness, ‘intelligence, knowledge, virtues, and proper etiquette’ (Hong, 2007: 408), symbolizes one’s implicit and cultivated excellence, operating often on the basis of the Confucian principles of ‘ren’, ‘li’, ‘xiao’ and the ‘Five Cardinal Bonds’ (Hong, 2007). Concurrently, ‘wu’ is portrayed as one’s overt and physical strength, operating mostly on the basis of aggression and martial excellence as well as focusing predominantly on one’s macho endeavours (Hong, 2007: 408).…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Excluding women and non-Chinese men from interpretation (Kam and Edwards, 1994), ‘wen’, largely inspired and defined by Confucianism, representing civil conscientiousness, ‘intelligence, knowledge, virtues, and proper etiquette’ (Hong, 2007: 408), symbolizes one’s implicit and cultivated excellence, operating often on the basis of the Confucian principles of ‘ren’, ‘li’, ‘xiao’ and the ‘Five Cardinal Bonds’ (Hong, 2007). Concurrently, ‘wu’ is portrayed as one’s overt and physical strength, operating mostly on the basis of aggression and martial excellence as well as focusing predominantly on one’s macho endeavours (Hong, 2007: 408). The hegemonic discourse of showcasing machismo most often emphasize a possession of a high level of both ‘wen’ and ‘wu’ for one to be considered the ‘most masculine [(文武雙全)]’ (Kam, 2002), differentiating from alternate pervasive masculinities so emphasized by other race or nationalities.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Multiplicity, diversity and individualization behind shuttlecock play: Chinese sportsmen’s masculinities in today’s China

Tsang

2023

Global Media and China

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With sport becoming increasingly mediatized in the global arena that further criss-crosses with the promotion of globalization and Western discourses surrounding manhood and identities, there has been, in contemporary China, a rise of alternate theorizations of masculinities that deviate from hegemonic masculine practices surrounding ‘wen’ (文) and ‘wu’ (武) as well as Maoist ideologies. While such accounts, focusing on demonstrating individuality and individualization, cultivating entrepreneurial spirit and possessing wealth, career success and conspicuous consumption, advocate for a greater understanding of masculinities that call for the diversity and fluidity of Chinese gender roles and male identities, there has also been a revival of traditional masculine ideologies associated with the Chinese Dream, a doctrine established and conveyed by President Xi Jinping, which seeks to highlight China’s quest for modernization and national power while placing ‘wu’ masculine values and culture at the forefront of its agenda. Against such a backdrop, this article, drawing on interviews with and observations of male badminton athletes from Mainland Chinese provincial professional and university teams, argues that, in contemporary China, both traditional and newly emerged masculine values and endeavours are integral to the theorization of masculinities of Chinese men, which are contended to be multiple, pluralized and individualized. With a dearth of academic literature that focuses on the co-presence of and inter-relationships between traditional and new masculinities which are embodied by modern Chinese men, this paper contributes renewed theoretical insights into how the various forms of masculinities coexist, intermix and, ultimately, negotiate with one another to reconstruct Chinese contemporary masculinities, in line with the gender order and hierarchy so upheld within China.

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