It does not run in the family
Chinese performance art and the queering of the Confucian family
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21875779 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Wei Hao Goh (0000-0002-5499-5811, King's College - North Carolina, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2023 |
| Volume | 10 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 65-83 |
| Publication date | 2023-08-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Contemporary Chinese Art (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2051-7041 • E-ISSN: 2051-705X |
| Publisher | Intellect (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1386/jcca_00076_1 |
| OpenAlex | W4386350182 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 18 |
Since the beginning of the post-reform era (1978–present), China has witnessed dramatic changes to its society such as falling birth rates, rising divorce rates and changing attitudes towards patrilineal values – trends that suggest a move away from the Confucian family. Yet, it remains the normative family model in China today. In this article, I examine a range of performance artworks that depict queer subjects and familial relationships to uncover the ways that these performances subvert current understandings of the Confucian family and (re)imagine families where queerness can emerge. First, I turn to Fan Popo and David Zheng’s documentary New Beijing, New Marriage (2009) to examine how it expands the definition of Confucian marriages to include same-sex couples. Second, I examine how He Chengyao’s Mama and Me (2001) and 99 Needles (2001) provide representation and reparations for the relationships and individuals that are rendered marginal in Confucian teachings – namely, the relationship between mother and daughter and individuals who suffer from mental health issues. Lastly, I study the Beijing East Village (Dongcun) as a form of chosen family to see how the relationships and collaborations between the different members expand the definition of Confucian family model to include non-biogenetic kinships such as family-like friendships
Beijing · China · Chinese society · Confucian ethics · Daughter · East Asia · Family values · Genealogy · Normative · Political science · Queer · Sociology · Cinema and Media Studies · Gender Studies · History · Japanese History and Culture · Law · Psychology
The property of contemporary Chinese art
From the Specter of Polygamy to the Spectacle of Postcoloniality
Gender and Relationship Roles in the Analects and the Mencius
Gender and Performativity in Xing Danwen’s East Village
Confucian Family for a Feminist Future
Confucianism and Same-Sex Marriage
Privatization of Marriage in Post-Socialist China
Performative family
Reclaiming Family, Reimaging Queer Relationality
Compulsory Heterosexuality and Lesbian Existence
Maintaining "mianzi" and "lizi
| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2025 (1) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |