This is the 1510 Digest, a weekly roundup of recent essays and articles published in Chinese on My1510.cn, with links to translations on the Marco Polo Project.
This week’s post focuses on women’s bodies in China. An interview with cultural critic Zhang Ning explores changes in the perception of beauty, as made manifest by the results of recent beauty contests; writer Li Puman reflects on the ethical issues of pre-birth sex identification in light of patriarchal values that prefer boys to girls.
Body, capital and power in beauty competitions
By Zhang Tianpan and Zhang Ning, 13 August 2012
In this long interview, cultural critic Zhang Ning from Beijing’s Normal University talks about changes in the Chinese perception of female beauty, and the relationship between beauty, power and capital.
This reflection starts from three recent beauty contests, where the selected winners were considered ‘ugly’ by the public. Zhang Ning interprets this as a deliberate distortion from organisers in order to attract attention. She underlines the role of administrative, financial and media powers in beauty contests, and how their influence gives legitimacy to the winners. Even in beauty contests that are not directly commercial, there is symbolic benefits to be had for the powerful – beauty somehow providing a shell for power. The choice of electing ugly winners, beside attracting attention, may also give confidence to plainer looking women among the public.
Zhang Ning then reflects on the history of the body in China. Traditionally, the body was thought of in moral terms, and perceived as part of nature – including through metaphors used to described it. In the early years of the revolution, and throughout the 70s, ideal female bodies were masculine, healthy and strong. The cultural revolution strove to eliminate all sexual differences, both as a form of equality, and as a way of gearing sensual forces to revolutionary goals.
The eighties saw a re-awakening of the body – with perms and dresses signifying a new perception of the body as healthy, sensuous and attractive. following on that trend, the first beauty contests were staged in the nineties, starting in Guangdong, Shanghai, and Fujian. These contests were accompanied by a realization that beauty could have commercial value, and the commodification of the female body started. What gives value to the body as a commercial product is not so much health and sensuousness, but standard measurements. A hierarchy of bodies developed, and the fashion, diet and cosmetics industries could derive profits from women’s efforts to rise in that hierarchy, by consuming their products and services.
Trends are changing, however. The current fashion of the “fresh new thing” marks a more natural, simple and understated approach; it also allows for more variety in what passes as beautiful. Young people today are also concerned about a wide range of matters, and the pursuit of beauty has become more minor. The internet phenomenon of plain women promoting themselves as beautiful, like Sister Furong, goes in the same direction. Although there is something clownish about their performance, their popular success does increase the diversity of bodies represented in the public sphere, giving confidence to more women that they conform with acceptable canons of beauty. Increased aesthetic diversity and more pluralistic canons of beauty may be a step towards more tolerance, diversity, and freedom in the public sphere.
Marco Polo translation: Body, capital and power games behind beauty contests
Original link: 选美事件背后的身体资本化与权力寻租
On this topic, you may also wish to read the following piece by Li Fan: Industry standards for Chinese sexy
After gender identification
By Li Puman 27 August 2012
The one child policy allows couples in rural areas to have a second child if their first one is a girl – a sign of ongoing patriarchal values. But when you can identify the sex of your child before birth, questions arise: what if you’re not expecting a boy? Meeting with an old friend from his hometown, writer Li Puman reflects on alternatives facing families: bringing up two girls, or interrupting pregnancy.
Marco Polo translation: After gender identification
Original link: 性别鉴定之后
All articles in this digest and a large range of other Chinese readings are accessible at Marcopoloproject.org. Some are available in English, French and Spanish translation. (You can join the project if you’d like to help with translations.)
Danwei is an affiliate of the Australian Centre on China in the World at The Australian National University. This posting is a result of one project that is part of that on-going collaboration.
China Heritage Quarterly and East Asian History are two other publications supported by the Australian Centre on China in the World.