The significance of subtle ways: navigating femininities in high schools of Taiwan

Abstract

Children’s geographers have contributed to the theorisation of school space as a ‘geographical accomplishment’. The crucial role of school space in (re)producing social identities such as gender in the Global North has been discussed. However, empirical research which explores young femininities in East Asia is scant. This paper demonstrates that the contestation of femininities in high schools of Taiwan is manifested in subtle ways. This research examines qualitatively the forms of contested femininities, the significance of peer culture, and the flexible nature of school space. The analysis demonstrates that singular understanding of the spatiality of school cannot fully explain the complicated web of entwined micro spaces involved in the shaping of young femininities. In conclusion, this research highlights the dynamics between school space and young femininities, and emphasises the value of studying East Asians’ contextualised experiences for better understanding of young femininities.

Keywords:

• Femininity
• young people
• school
• peer culture
• Taiwan
• Asia

Acknowledgments

I am grateful to the teachers and pupils who participated into this study. I would also like to thank Sarah Holloway, Tracey Skelton and two anonymous referees for their feedback and constructive comments on earlier versions of the paper.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1 The school names, Banyan and Azalea, are pseudonyms for anonymity.

2 The term ‘Xin-Ji’ is a noun in Chinese, and is predominantly used in a pejorative sense. It is usually understood as a personality trait associated with females. To describe a female as exercising Xin-Ji means that she would speak ill of others behind their backs, or that she has hidden thoughts that differ from those she displays. Therefore, in certain cases, exercising Xin-Ji could mean ‘bitching about others’.

3 Being ‘Sao’ in Chinese can be equated to being ‘slutty’ in English. It is used to describe someone who dresses in a provocative manner.