This event is hosted by the Contemporary China Centre.
About the event
To gain a nuanced understanding of changing gender dynamics and issues of hierarchy and injustice in gendered practices, research on the diversity and complexity of masculinities and manhood in relation to women and femininities is critical to the broader field of gender studies. While studies of men and masculinities have previously been relatively scarce in Chinese studies, emerging scholarship since the new millennium has signalled an increasing awareness of the complexities surrounding the construction of contemporary masculinities.
This panel will explore the increasing multiplicities of men’s identities and practices, including the various ways in which men contest and consolidate 'conventional' notions of masculinity, so as to further deconstruct and subvert the 'natural' link between masculinity and patriarchy. Continuing the Contemporary China Centre Conference's Deconstructed series, it brings together international experts to discuss theories, experiences, performances and representations of men and masculinities in contemporary China. Chaired by Professor Harriet Evans from the University of Westminster, it aims to facilitate public debates on different aspects and iterations of masculinities and contribute new perspectives on the production of gender difference and hierarchy in China.
The event is free to attend and open to all. A Zoom link will be provided to all those who register before 24th June.
About the speakers
Dr Derek Hird is the Head of Department, Senior Lecturer in Chinese Studies, and Deputy Director of Lancaster University’s Confucius Institute. His research concerns gender and class in contemporary China, with a particular focus on middle-class masculinities. In this seminar, Dr Hird will be sharing his most recent project on Chinese male beauty culture.
Dr Altman Peng is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Applied Linguistics at University of Warwick. A key area of his research focuses on how asymmetrical gender power relations and nationalist politics play out in social-mediated communication. In this seminar, Dr Altman Peng will talk about his current project on how male Chinese fans navigate their sports consumption through the scope of masculinity.
Fei Huang is a Doctoral Researcher in Chinese cultural studies at University of Westminster. Her current research explores stay-at-home fathers in contemporary urban China. In this seminar, Fei Huang will present stay-at-home fathers’ attitudes toward seeking childrearing and emotional support in female-dominated caregiving communities – a key finding emerging from her interviews with stay-at-home fathers.
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Past events in the Contemporary China Centre Conference's Deconstructed series can be found on the Centre's Youtube channel.
