Feminist Patriots: An Empirical Inquiry of Pink Feminism in China

• In Event: Gender and Politics Research in China

Abstract

Virginia Woolf’s seminal 1938 declaration, “As a woman I have no country,” boldly defies the idea of feminist patriots. The prevailing literature often links support for gender equality and feminist principals with a decrease in national pride and a disavowal of exclusive nationalism. However, there is an evident historical intertwining of women’s emancipation with national identification and advancement, especially noted in the Global South (Herr, 2003). Recent scholarship also highlights situations where women demonstrate marked patriotism and nationalism, sometimes even militancy. In China, feminism confronts skepticism from conservative traditionalists, a challenge prevalent in many cultures. Further complicating matters, nationalist critics in China accuse feminism of suspicious foreign influence, a claim used to delegitimize feminist activism. Amidst the political zeitgeist, a strand of Chinese feminism appeared to align with state narratives, giving rise to “pink feminism.” This adaptation necessitates a nuanced examination of how nationalism is negotiated within feminist activism. Employing a mixed-methods approach that combines surveys, experiments, and interviews, this study probes the underpinnings of Chinese feminists’ nationalist inclinations, illuminating the interplay between feminism, nationalism, and political ideology.

Authors

• Yanjun Liu, Peking University

• Jia Yao, Peking University