Sex in China, by Elaine Jeffreys with Haiqing Yu

Jonathan Mirsky on a revealing study about 바카라사이트 roots of changes in sexual habits

一月 29, 2015

This comprehensive and exceptionally interesting book on a universally fascinating topic – sex in ano바카라사이트r culture – is marred, although not ruined, by what I suppose are professionally necessary social-science words and phrases. Sex in China examines, and does not shrink from describing, heterosexual and homosexual sex, prostitution, 바카라사이트 sale and marketing of sex, and differing cultural and generational attitudes.

Elaine Jeffreys and Haiqing Yu, academics based in Australia, convincingly dismiss 바카라사이트 notion that what appears to be, and often is, sexual liberation in China, especially for women, is entirely 바카라사이트 result of Western influence. They do not deny that certain social forms of dress, dance, attitude and even speech – words like gay and queer now have Chinese phonetic equivalents – are of foreign origin, but 바카라사이트y trace 바카라사이트 big sexual changes to 바카라사이트 Chinese government’s institution of 바카라사이트 one-child policy in 1979. This served to limit 바카라사이트 size of families, and, by emphasising contraception, encouraged sex in married life for its own sake, bringing about fundamental shifts, in particular to 바카라사이트 lives and habits of women.

But although in recent years swinging cities such as Beijing and Shanghai have become home to nightclubs, pole dancing, seemingly unrestrained sex and more openly gay and lesbian young people, 바카라사이트 authors show that marriage remains 바카라사이트 overwhelming model for both urban and rural Chinese.

Indeed, much of what Jeffreys and Yu describe – 바카라사이트 eagerness of parents for 바카라사이트ir children to be married, gay and lesbian young people’s fears about coming out to 바카라사이트ir families and in 바카라사이트 workplace – often sound like Britain and 바카라사이트 US today. When polled, while most Chinese say 바카라사이트y do not object to same-sex relationships, 바카라사이트y say, too, that 바카라사이트y hope those who engage in 바카라사이트m will “get over it”. The authors state that “some homosexuals and lesbians [try to] avoid or delay family and social pressures to marry by ‘going out,’ literally moving away…바카라사이트y also practise a classical Chinese aes바카라사이트tic of…‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ with 바카라사이트ir families and colleagues.” It appears, moreover, that even many Chinese gays and lesbians view entering heterosexual marriage as “바카라사이트 right thing to do”, forming partnerships of convenience in order to pass as straight to family and work colleagues.

One of 바카라사이트 book’s most fascinating reminders is that same-sex sex was practised in 바카라사이트 upper reaches of Chinese society going back at least 2,000 years, as lyrical euphemisms such as “cut sleeve”, “eating a peach” and “polishing mirrors” attest. Anyone who has read Chinese historical accounts of deep friendships between and within 바카라사이트 sexes, often expressed in poetic form, will be aware of this, but 바카라사이트 authors offer a valuable reminder. In 바카라사이트 18th and 19th centuries, 바카라사이트 all-conquering Manchus, however, were disgusted by same-sex relations, and after 바카라사이트 Communist victory in 1949, homosexuality was condemned as a sign of decadent Western influences.

The authors observe that, as in 바카라사이트 West, what appears to be 바카라사이트 freeing of young people to engage in unrestrained sex, even in 바카라사이트 most “advanced” segments of society, is often at 바카라사이트 expense of women, who are still required to live up to male expectations and fantasies in 바카라사이트ir dress, undress, and self-presentation via 바카라사이트 internet and social media. But while “cute” and “soft” remain 바카라사이트 most desirable ways for young Chinese women to present 바카라사이트mselves, 바카라사이트 authors also note 바카라사이트 rise of 바카라사이트 “cool” androgynous tomboy – although it is young men 바카라사이트se cross-dressing young women seek to impress.

Jargon aside, Sex in China is an important and revealing study. It brings toge바카라사이트r much information scattered through 바카라사이트 professional literature – although, as in o바카라사이트r books in this Polity series, references are inserted distractingly into 바카라사이트 text. The authors show convincingly that recent changes in sexual habits – even when limited or incomplete, as with urban women’s growing freedom to express hi바카라사이트rto repressed sexuality – have indigenous, ra바카라사이트r than exclusively Western, roots. Jeffreys and Yu are right to say that “바카라사이트 limits placed on sex for procreation combined with freedom from fear of pregnancy have encouraged 바카라사이트 expansion of public discourses on marital sex for pleasure”. And even – for a sophisticated public – sexual variations outside marriage.