Life of one's own: negotiating homosexuality with the family and party-state in China
(2023) SOCM04 20222Sociology
Department of Sociology
- Abstract
- The current study explores the process of how tongzhi, namely the homosexual men in China, who works for the party-state negotiates homosexuality with the family and the party-state in China. Under the background of the individualization of Chinese society, tongzhi has been pursuing to liberate homosexuality while encountering oppression from the family and the party-state. By analyzing the interviews with tongzhi working for the party-state, this study analyzes their narratives about the negotiation process. Regarding family, tongzhi mobilizes economic autonomy and social mobility in exchange for self-autonomy, where they develop zone for homosexuality. However, familial intimacy is usually involved in the decision of identifying... (More)
- The current study explores the process of how tongzhi, namely the homosexual men in China, who works for the party-state negotiates homosexuality with the family and the party-state in China. Under the background of the individualization of Chinese society, tongzhi has been pursuing to liberate homosexuality while encountering oppression from the family and the party-state. By analyzing the interviews with tongzhi working for the party-state, this study analyzes their narratives about the negotiation process. Regarding family, tongzhi mobilizes economic autonomy and social mobility in exchange for self-autonomy, where they develop zone for homosexuality. However, familial intimacy is usually involved in the decision of identifying homosexuality to the family. The negotiation in the realm of family is hence characterized by both first and second modernity. Regarding the party-state, tongzhi problematizes party membership and reconstructs it in terms of individualism. The construct can be identified as utilitarianism and populism. Such a strategy, together with relatively low level of flexibility, jointly depoliticalizes homosexuality in the public sphere and. This study also contributes to the discussion of the shift from traditional familism and communist collectivism to neo-familism and individualism. (Less)
- Popular Abstract
- The current study explores the process of how tongzhi who works for the party-state negotiates homosexuality with the family and the party-state in China. Since Chinese society has individualized in a way that people increasingly desire to live their own life, which means they want to choose their own lifestyle without instructions from the authority such as the family and the party-state. Tongzhi, the male homosexuals in China, has such a desire as well. Under the background of the individualization of Chinese society, tongzhi has been pursuing to liberate homosexuality while encountering oppression from the family and the party-state. By analyzing the interviews with tongzhi working for the party-state, this study analyzes their... (More)
- The current study explores the process of how tongzhi who works for the party-state negotiates homosexuality with the family and the party-state in China. Since Chinese society has individualized in a way that people increasingly desire to live their own life, which means they want to choose their own lifestyle without instructions from the authority such as the family and the party-state. Tongzhi, the male homosexuals in China, has such a desire as well. Under the background of the individualization of Chinese society, tongzhi has been pursuing to liberate homosexuality while encountering oppression from the family and the party-state. By analyzing the interviews with tongzhi working for the party-state, this study analyzes their narratives about the negotiation process. That is, how they tell the stories about them dealing with the pressures from the family and the party-states. Following this question, this study then presents the negotiation process. Regarding family, the tongzhi invokes various strategies to balance the two goals of familial intimacy and the freedom of a homosexual lifestyle. The fulfillment of the two goals results in different inclinations of familial values and practices. Regarding the party-state, the tongzhi constructs their party membership with utilitarianism and populism narratives while depoliticalizing homosexuality to lower the risks in the public sphere. This study also contributes to the discussion of the shift from traditional familism and communist collectivism to neo-familism and individualism. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9108694
- author
- Chen, Daiyi LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- SOCM04 20222
- year
- 2023
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- keywords
- tongzhi, homosexuality, family, party-state, individualization
- language
- English
- id
- 9108694
- date added to LUP
- 2023-01-24 16:41:36
- date last changed
- 2023-01-24 16:41:36
@misc{9108694,
abstract = {{The current study explores the process of how tongzhi, namely the homosexual men in China, who works for the party-state negotiates homosexuality with the family and the party-state in China. Under the background of the individualization of Chinese society, tongzhi has been pursuing to liberate homosexuality while encountering oppression from the family and the party-state. By analyzing the interviews with tongzhi working for the party-state, this study analyzes their narratives about the negotiation process. Regarding family, tongzhi mobilizes economic autonomy and social mobility in exchange for self-autonomy, where they develop zone for homosexuality. However, familial intimacy is usually involved in the decision of identifying homosexuality to the family. The negotiation in the realm of family is hence characterized by both first and second modernity. Regarding the party-state, tongzhi problematizes party membership and reconstructs it in terms of individualism. The construct can be identified as utilitarianism and populism. Such a strategy, together with relatively low level of flexibility, jointly depoliticalizes homosexuality in the public sphere and. This study also contributes to the discussion of the shift from traditional familism and communist collectivism to neo-familism and individualism.}},
author = {{Chen, Daiyi}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Life of one's own: negotiating homosexuality with the family and party-state in China}},
year = {{2023}},
}