CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2013
| Author | Qi, Yu |
|---|---|
| Title | Identity Terms and Organizing For Women in Same-Sex Relations in Mainland China |
| Summary | Although little research has been done on the situation of lesbians and lesbian activism in mainland China, the booming lesbian culture and lesbian activism in today’s P. R.China and its relation to globalizing sexual movements deserves research attention. This thesis takes current sexual identity terms for women loving women in Chinese, tong-xing-lian, tong-zhi and la-la as the object of investigation. It aims to reveal the power relations, identities, and social movements around these terms from seeing them as interpenetrating multiplicities rather than separate unities. Language, power, identities and social movements are interrelated and thus these identity terms are both formed and reflect complexity of the local field. This thesis asks how these terms are used, and why are they used in this way, to expose the complexities that are otherwise obscured. The main data source is two months fieldwork in China in the spring of 2013: participant observation and informal interviews with a national lesbian organization Tong-yu and three local groups in Beijing: Tong-zhi Center, Nu-tong-zhi Center (La-la Salon), and Xi’an: Relax Tong-xue-she. The thesis concludes that the identity terms multiplicities formed by interpenetrating multiplicities of forces. These differences and contingencies reveals the particular concerns and problems that would be obscured by simply reading the terms as translation of sexual identities and the situation in China as reflection of the global LGBT movement. They also open up for understanding of unpredictable future that is not foretell by the global LGBT movement. |
| Supervisor | Renkin. Hadley |
| Department | Gender Studies MA |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2013/qi_yu.pdf |
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