School of Social and Political Science

Description

Title: The Crisis of Social Reproduction and “Made-in-China” Feminism

Abstract

Crises of care and social reproduction have led to new debates and social movements around the world, but there has been little scholarly scrutiny on these issues in contemporary China. Facing rapid population ageing and historically low birth rates, the Chinese government believes the country is suffering from a demographic crisis. Yet, the so-called population question is fundamentally a political one: who is bearing the brunt of biologically and socially reproducing the Chinese labour force who have fuelled the Chinese economy in the last four decades? This talk contextualizes China’s current care crisis in the country's long-existing urban-rural divide and the unchecked patriarchal-capitalist mode of accumulation that have produced uneven consequences among different social groups. Further, I argue that across social classes, Chinese women are making their voices heard and taking actions to protest against systemic appropriation and exploitation of their care and reproductive labour. Analyzing this 'made-in-China' feminism can shed new light on theorization of social reproduction and contentious politics in China.