What do you think?
Rate this book
Inscripted on the Body: An Analysis of the Performative Value of the Body as an Alternative Tool of Expression and Resistance in Modern China
Historically, social movement literature has prioritized the North American and Western European experience, with theorists developing frameworks to analyse how activists successfully mobilize and elicit social change within these contexts. The historical, cultural and political context of the state has proved crucial for the development and deployment of mainstream social movement theories. However, the experience of activists beyond these contexts is largely
overlooked as a focal point in the literature, and as a consequence, mainstream social movement theories do not sufficiently capture the empirical realities of movements in all regions of the world, particularly those beyond the Global North. Accordingly, I argue that in departing from mainstream social movement theories and their assumptions about historically specific experiences characteristic of Europe and the United States, we can develop greater insights into the agency of protestors and their ability to carve out their own political opportunities through cultural practices. This argument is modelled through an analysis of feminist politics in China, a country known for its lack of civil liberties and glaring gender inequality. In turn, I argue that this
socio-political environment has a significant impact on the formation and development of social movements and thus, an important country to isolate for this exploration. I argue the restricted political environment in China has paradoxically inspired sensational and novel forms of protest that operate on the site of the female body. Such performances aim to overcome barriers to
voluntary action by subverting docile practices that operate on the site of the female body. These notions are supported by a case-based discussion of two Chinese feminist campaigns: the 'Anti-Domestic Violence, Call for Legislation, Now We Are Collecting Signatures from a Million People’ (2012-13) and the ‘Bloody Brides’ Campaign 2012. In analysing these two case studies, I employ a feminist Foucauldian framework to study the female body as a tool of
collective action to carve out alternative spaces for resistance and rebellion. I argue that in transforming the protesting female body into a political stage, activists are afforded opportunities to reject embodied femininity and ultimately, reclaim their bodily autonomy. This process
promotes a reconstitution of the female body itself and allows the female body to become
re-made by these acts of rebellion.
overlooked as a focal point in the literature, and as a consequence, mainstream social movement theories do not sufficiently capture the empirical realities of movements in all regions of the world, particularly those beyond the Global North. Accordingly, I argue that in departing from mainstream social movement theories and their assumptions about historically specific experiences characteristic of Europe and the United States, we can develop greater insights into the agency of protestors and their ability to carve out their own political opportunities through cultural practices. This argument is modelled through an analysis of feminist politics in China, a country known for its lack of civil liberties and glaring gender inequality. In turn, I argue that this
socio-political environment has a significant impact on the formation and development of social movements and thus, an important country to isolate for this exploration. I argue the restricted political environment in China has paradoxically inspired sensational and novel forms of protest that operate on the site of the female body. Such performances aim to overcome barriers to
voluntary action by subverting docile practices that operate on the site of the female body. These notions are supported by a case-based discussion of two Chinese feminist campaigns: the 'Anti-Domestic Violence, Call for Legislation, Now We Are Collecting Signatures from a Million People’ (2012-13) and the ‘Bloody Brides’ Campaign 2012. In analysing these two case studies, I employ a feminist Foucauldian framework to study the female body as a tool of
collective action to carve out alternative spaces for resistance and rebellion. I argue that in transforming the protesting female body into a political stage, activists are afforded opportunities to reject embodied femininity and ultimately, reclaim their bodily autonomy. This process
promotes a reconstitution of the female body itself and allows the female body to become
re-made by these acts of rebellion.
76 pages, ebook
Published February 1, 2022
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
February 17, 2022
An expertly written look into performative feminism in China. Harrt's perspective and insight is unmatched and fascinating. Highly recommend.
Displaying 1 of 1 review