Being a Valuable Daughter in a Rural Family: The Relational Identity and Empowered Gender Subjectivities of Female Vocational College Students

Anita Koo*, Yang Zhan

*Corresponding author for this work

    Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

    Abstract

    The rapid expansion of vocational higher education, the labor market, and the emergence of individualistic values have empowered the young generation of Chinese rural women, granting them more autonomy in planning their futures and constructing their identities. This article explores the motivation for vocational higher education and the meaning attached to education and employment among the female college students from rural households, primarily through in-depth interviews. While investigating the strategies young women employ for economic empowerment and self-development, we identify a new form of empowered gender subjectivity highly tied to their strong desire to become valuable daughters within their natal patrilineal families. They aim to transform the devalued role of daughters in the patriarchal system by aspiring to provide continuous financial, emotional, and physical support for their parents through a smooth school-to-work transition. This empowered agency, however, does not necessarily challenge the gender structure of the labor market and the primary caregiving role of women in families. This study also underscores the relational nature of individual identity in China and highlights the intricacies of educated young women’s gendered subjectivities under the rapid social, cultural, and economic transitions in Chinese rural communities.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)259-286
    Number of pages28
    JournalChina Review
    Volume23
    Issue number4
    Publication statusPublished - Nov 2023

    Scopus Subject Areas

    • Cultural Studies

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