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ABSTRACT
This research suggests that the legitimacy of Chinese feminist public opinion is reflected in mainstream digital grassroots feminism. The authors investigate the use of feminist discourse in the Chinese Internet with the aim of highlighting and focusing current discussions among grassroots feminists in China. This research reveals that mainstream debates revolve around radical and conservative feminism. We propose that there is an emerging radical force in the mainstream debate, which is conceptualized as “new feminist activism.” It tries to separate itself from national and sexual politics, and has evolved from western radical feminism, separatist feminism, and socialist feminism in China. In addition, new feminist activism is labeled as extreme feminism and pseudo-feminism and is not only criticized by conservatives such as liberal feminists and socialist feminists but is also ruled by the state for ideological control. Appropriation of feminist discourses by grassroots feminists have led to positions of different groups splitting, and there is an intense internal fight for power over discourse. In general, digital feminism in China is characterized by a focus on the private sphere, de-political, and indirect confrontation.
ABSTRACT IN CHINESE
本研究表明，中国女性主义舆论的合法性体现在主流数字草根女性主义中。作者调查了中国互联网中女性主义话语的使用情况，目的是突出和聚焦中国草根女性主义者的当前讨论。这项研究显示，主流辩论围绕着激进和保守的女性主义展开。我们提出，在主流辩论中，有一股新兴的激进力量，被概念化为 “新激进女性主义"。它试图与国家政治和性政治分开，并从西方的激进女性主义、分离主义女性主义和中国的社会主义女性主义中发展而来。此外，新激进女性主义被贴上了极端女性主义和伪女性主义的标签，不仅受到自由主义女性主义者和社会主义女性主义者等保守派的批评，而且还受到国家意识形态控制的统治。草根女性主义者对女性主义话语的挪用，导致不同群体的立场发生分裂，内部对话语权的争夺十分激烈。总的来说，中国的数字女性主义的特点是注重私人领域、去政治化以及间接对抗。
Acknowledgments
During the process of writing and submitting this paper, we received help from many people. Prof. Liangwen Kuo gave very detailed revisions, which further improved the theoretical and methodological aspects of the thesis, Dr. Penn Tsz Ting Ip was very helpful in selecting the topic, writing and submitting the paper. In addition, the journal Content Editor also made significant tweaks and changes to the paper to improve its flow, content and clarity. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to them.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Notes
1 Women hold up half the sky (fu nv neng ding ban bian tian): a Chinese saying of Mao era.
2 This is an old Chinese saying: nanzhuwai，nvzhunei.
3 New Rank is a company providing online and offline data product services in China.
4 The maximum number of reads, viewers, and likes for a single article in this paper is 100,000.
5 Douban is a community website in China and Douban group is an online chat group on Douban.
6 B is the first letter of “Bu” in Chinese which means “no”, thus 6B refers to these six directives: do not marry men, do not fall in love with men, do not have sex with men, do not have children with men, do not consume misogynistic and female-humiliating brands, and do not help married women. T is the first letter of “tuo” in Chinese which means “getting rid of”, thus 4B refers to getting rid of corsets, getting rid of religion, getting rid of idols, and getting rid of otaku and fujoshi culture.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Chun Yang
Chun YANG is currently a PhD candidate at Shanghai Jiao Tong University. She received her B.A. degree in journalism and communication from Yunnan University, Yunnan, China, and an M.S. degree in journalism and communication from Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China. Her research interests include minorities, nationalism and gender studies in digital era. Email: [email protected]
Yongyuan Zhou
Yongyuan ZHOU is currently a PhD candidate at Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Her research interests include media studies, gender studies, and LGBTQ + studies. At present, she is interested in how social media influences intimate relationships. Email: [email protected]