Chinese Men’s Practices of Intimacy, Embodiment and Kinship : Crafting Elastic Masculinity

This book explores Chinese young men’s views of manhood and how they construct and negotiate masculinities in everyday lives. Drawing from empirical research, it uses the term shenti (body-self) as a central concept to investigate the Chinese male body and explores masculinity within intimacy and kinship. The book proposes and develops a new concept of ‘elastic masculinity’ which can be stretched and forged differently depending on the context. At the same time, the men’s masculinity formation is constrained by the availability of resources, structural constraints, cultural traditions and diverse personal relationships. The book showcases how Chinese masculinities reflect the resilience of Confucian notions as well as transnational ideas of modern manhood. By doing so, it prioritizes local knowledge while setting the scene in a global framework. The book provides a unique dialogue with ‘western’ discourse on masculinity, and a timely study of how ordinary men actively engage with China’s global modernity, increasing individualisation, shifting gender values and changing local realities. Front Cover Half Title Series Chinese Men's Practices of Intimacy, Embodiment and Kinship Copyright information Dedication Table of contents Glossary About the Author Acknowledgments Series Editors’ Preface Preface 1 Introduction: Approaching Young Men in Urban China Introduction The transformative era: conflicts and continuities Tradition and modernity Individualism, individualization and relationality Rethinking Confucianism: official revival and living tradition The research process and methodological reflections Shifting away from ‘crisis of masculinity’ Meeting ordinary young men Fieldwork as a continuous process Structure of the book 2 Chinese Masculinities, Identity Formation and Cultural Values Introduction Being a Chinese man: historical evolution and continuities Class formation and masculinities: locating ordinary young men The problematic media discourse Body and shenti Families, intimacy and gender relations Temporality, narrative identity and kinship 3 Making the Chinese Shenti: Embodiment and Masculinities in Everyday Lives Introduction Weighing du: bodily moderation and management Identifying a masculine du Managing problematic du Practising du in style and fashion Cultivating li: the ritualized and moral body Displaying the ritualized body Routes towards bodily li Performing bodily li in the workplace Nurturing he: embodied harmony and relationships Body work as a filial son Masculine embodiment and intimate relations Seeking harmony with distinct male shenti The rivalry between northern and southern men Conclusion 4 You Dandang: Negotiating Masculinity in Practices of Intimacy Introduction A pragmatic framing of intimacy How can you marry without fangzi? You dandang: morality, responsibility and obligation Positive mentality, egalitarian relationships and doing a man’s best Ideal women and men Conclusion 5 Handing Down: Making and Narrating Masculinity through Kinship Ties Introduction Learning to be a man through kinship memories A fluctuating memory journey Inventing the present: the dao of filial piety Weaving it all into the future Conclusion 6 Conclusion: Crafting Elastic Masculinity Ordinary young men’s experiences of gender Elastic masculinity Local concept and global knowledge Notes Appendix References Index Back Cover This book explores Chinese young men’s views of manhood and develops a new concept of ‘elastic masculinity’ which can be stretched and forged differently in response to personal relationships and local realities. Drawing from empirical research, the author uses the term shenti (body-self) as a central concept to investigate the Chinese male body and explores intimacy and kinship within masculinity. She showcases how Chinese masculinities reflect the resilience of Confucian notions as well as transnational ideas of modern manhood. This is a unique dialogue with ‘western’ discourse on masculinity, and an invaluable resource for understanding the profound social changes that transformed gendered arrangements in urban China.