| Author: | Zhou, Yuan |
| Title: | Between neoliberalism and confucianism : a corpus-assisted feminist poststructuralist discourse analysis of “yummy mummy” on Xiaohongshu |
| Advisors: | Liu, Ming (CBS) |
| Degree: | DALS |
| Year: | 2024 |
| Subject: | Mothers -- Social networks -- China Online social networks -- Social aspects Motherhood -- Social aspects Child rearing -- Social aspects Discourse analysis Hong Kong Polytechnic University -- Dissertations |
| Department: | Faculty of Humanities |
| Pages: | x, 299 pages : color illustrations |
| Language: | English |
| Abstract: | As Millennial women entered the childbearing peak, a group of “yummy mummies” (辣妈 lama) have emerged in current China who are different from traditional mothers. They share their daily lives on social media; some have even become professional bloggers to share their knowledge about postpartum restoration, fitness, and parenting. Against this background, this study examines how Chinese “yummy mummy” construct their maternal identities on the social media platform Xiaohongshu. A corpus-assisted feminist poststructuralist discourse analysis (FPDA) was adopted in this study. For quantitative analysis, the corpus linguistics tools Sketch Engine and AntConc software were utilized to investigate the discursive construction of the yummy mummy on Xiaohongshu. At the qualitative level, Baxter’s (2007) FPDA was used as a theoretical and analytical framework in this study. Besides, Fairclough’s (2003) representation of social actors and principles of recontextualizations, Halliday’s (1994) transitivity system were also incorporated for discourse analysis. A corpus of 3,807 postings on #yummy mummy# were collected from Xiaohongshu. Based on the detailed analysis, the findings of this study suggest that young mothers construct their yummy mummy identities on social media from two main perspectives: “yummy mummy and body care”; “yummy mummy and parenting.” In the theme of “body care,” firstly, young Chinese mothers are strict with themselves regarding appearance and build themselves into self-disciplined “entrepreneurial subjects” for personal fulfillment. Then, they regard staying ageless, well-preserved, and girlish as a constant struggle. Thirdly, young mothers on social media demonstrate their professionalism and careerism by using Vlogs (video blogs) and terminologies to strengthen their online presence. Finally, young mothers portray child-rearing as an unavoidable responsibility of motherhood. In the “parenting” theme, young mothers follow scientific parenting methods and invest in their children as a family asset. Then, young mothers demonstrate their modernity and stylish lifestyle by bringing their children to consumer-oriented locations, such as aquariums and amusement parks, or participating in parent-child activities in upscale hotels and B&Bs, distinguishing their parenting style from that of working-class parents. Ultimately, yummy mummies on Xiaohongshu share their experiences as well as emotions in raising children on social media platforms, positioning themselves as “quasi-experts” in parenting and striving to establish themselves as accomplished “mum bloggers.” This study also combines cultural, historical, and ideological contexts to exhibit the unique features of the yummy mummy image on social media in contemporary China. On the one hand, influenced by traditional East Asian Confucian ideology, Chinese yummy mummies pursue girlishness and youth, emphasizing their parenting responsibilities and Chinese traditional cultural education. On the other hand, young mothers, influenced by neoliberal discourses of endeavor, competition, and entrepreneurship, view themselves and their children as assets to be invested in. They are committed to creating a modern, active, and successful female image of themselves. In conclusion, methodologically, the corpus-assisted FPDA approach implemented in this study can be employed to analyze other female identities. Hopefully, these conclusions drawn through a critical lens may contribute to the field of FPDA and gender studies. Besides, my research explores the issues of reproductive inequality, bodily autonomy, and the intersectionality of class and gender-based family issues in contemporary China, considering the ideologies of neoliberalism and Confucianism, as well as the socio-cultural and economic contexts of China. Hence, my research hopes to unravel young Chinese mothers’ dilemmas and challenges and pave the way for gender equality in contemporary China. |
| Rights: | All rights reserved |
| Access: | restricted access |
Files in This Item:
| File | Description | Size | Format | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8045.pdf | For All Users (off-campus access for PolyU Staff & Students only) | 6.28 MB | Adobe PDF | View/Open |
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