The workshop seeks to uncover the multiplicity of gender experiences by tracing the genuine experiences articulated by women and men of different age groups, marital status, classes and professions. We aim to probe the divergence between how gender identities were defined by official state and public media discourses, and conversely, how women and men experienced these gendered identities, appropriating, adapting, and resisting these discourses in their own lives.
During the workshop participants will be encouraged to frame their own work in conjunction with other researchers’ papers. They will also have the chance to gain feedback on their research from leading scholars in the field who will act as discussants in each panel session. In order to facilitate dynamic cross-disciplinary discussion, this workshop will also raise practical questions about how to analyse different types of sources, including newspapers and magazines, plays, literature, art, film and oral history materials. Related discussion sessions will provide an opportunity for researchers to exchange ideas, methods, and approaches to source analyses. Participants are encouraged to discuss their use of source materials in their presentations and participate in roundtable discussions dedicated to this topic. The sessions will lead to a platform for sharing information and ultimately the workshop aims to provide a launching point for a digital portal of relevant links to academic books, newspapers, magazines, memoirs, and oral history collections on gender in modern China scattered across the UK, Europe, the US and China. We also intend to produce a publication of selected papers from the workshop.
Please send a 250 word abstract to: refractinggender@soas.ac.uk, including your full name, institutional affiliation, year of study (if applicable) and email address.
Sponsors: SOAS China Institute, London Confucius Institute, SOAS Doctoral School and the Swiss Soong Ching Ling Foundation.
Organisers: Jennifer Bond (SOAS, University of London), Hiu Man Keung (University of Edinburgh) and Chang Liu (King's College London)
Contact email: refractinggender@soas.ac.uk
Contact Tel: +44 (0)20 7898 4823
