{"id":205436,"date":"2018-03-02T22:29:03","date_gmt":"2018-03-03T06:29:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/chinadigitaltimes.net\/?p=205436"},"modified":"2018-03-02T22:29:03","modified_gmt":"2018-03-03T06:29:03","slug":"perpetuating-gender-norms-state-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chinadigitaltimes.net\/2018\/03\/perpetuating-gender-norms-state-home\/","title":{"rendered":"Perpetuating Gender Norms in the State and in the Home"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the Washington Post, Leta Hong Fincher, author of the forthcoming “Betraying Big Brother: The Feminist Awakening in China,”<\/a> writes that the authoritarianism exhibited by President Xi Jinping is enabled partially by a patriarchal culture in China<\/strong><\/a>:<\/p>\n

There are many reasons that China\u2019s modern Communist Party has survived for almost 70 years, in spite of the collapse of communism in the Soviet Union and elsewhere in Eastern Europe. But it is impossible to understand the longevity of China\u2019s Communist Party without recognizing the patriarchal underpinnings of its authoritarianism. In short, China\u2019s ultimate strongman, Xi, like other autocrats around the world, views patriarchal authoritarianism as critical for the survival of the Communist Party.<\/p>\n

For the first several years of his presidency (until early 2016), Xi was quite literally called Xi Dada \u2014 \u201cBig Daddy Xi\u201d \u2014 in the state media, which built up a personality cult around him the likes of which had not been seen since the 1966-1976 Cultural Revolution, under Chairman Mao Zedong. This language celebrates Xi for his manliness and upholds the male-dominated family as the basic foundation of a strong and stable state. Propaganda images depict Xi as the father of the Chinese nation in a \u201cfamily-state under heaven\u201d (jia guo tian xia). When Xi became president, pop and hip-hop songs emerged idolizing him not just as a father but as an ideal husband, too, such as \u201cBe a Man Like Xi Dada\u201d and one of the most popular songs of all, \u201cIf You Want to Marry, Marry Someone Like Xi Dada.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Communist Party aggressively perpetuates traditional gender norms and reduces women to their roles as reproductive tools for the state, dutiful wives, mothers and baby breeders in the home, in order to minimize social unrest and give birth to future generations of skilled workers. The party also is carrying out an unprecedented crackdown on feminist activists because China\u2019s all-male rulers seem to think that China\u2019s entire security state would collapse were it not for the subjugation of women. [Source<\/strong><\/a>]<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The perpetuation of traditional gender norms is on full display in a document recently shared on Chinese social media<\/strong><\/a> that is part of a brochure provided to newlyweds after they register for marriage in Beijing. The brochure was published by the Beijing Association of Marriage and Family Development <\/a>in August 2016:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

In a family, if a wife is strong and the husband is weak, it is very easy for the children in the household to copy the father\u2019s emotions, to become repressed, lacking confidence, even timid. If the family has daughters, the daughter will develop sympathy for the father, and involuntarily develop in the direction of strength. In the end, she will become the same as her mother, a domineering woman who wears the pants in the family.<\/p>\n

A domineering wife often does not have real power. Usually in their hearts they lack a sense of security and power, so they act forcefully to validate their own power. Expressions of strength are really just their own helplessness.<\/p>\n

The root cause for this is the relationship with one\u2019s parents in childhood, in which the parents’ feelings and expectations are suppressed. How do we transform a strong wife into a tender one, and a weak husband into a strong one? We suggest husband and wife can write it down or find someone to talk to about their repressed emotions and expectations. This can help couples get along better.<\/p>\n

A smart wife will to great lengths to make the husband look lofty and stalwart for her children, and allow the husband to become her children\u2019s role model and someone to rely on. [Chinese<\/strong><\/a>]<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

From CDT’s Sandra Severdia:<\/p>\n

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Some thoughts: Translating "\u5f3a\u52bf" here can be very tricky in English not only because it's a much more precise language than Chinese, but also because women are treated very differently in PRC. https:\/\/t.co\/Ev4WvdO7Yl<\/a><\/p>\n

— Sandra Severdia (@underbreath) March 3, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n