Affiliation:
1. University of Macau, Taipa, Macao SAR
Abstract
The TV drama A Love for Dilemma (2021) has sparked widespread debates on motherhood and gender in China. This article explores the intricacy of the show’s representation of “bad mother.” While conventional perspectives often view motherhood as a realm of private intimacy, insufficient attention has been given to the distinctiveness of Chinese-style motherhood and its intersection with family, neoliberalism, and state politics. This article addresses the importance of analyzing the televisual representation of motherhood to gain insight into how the interplay between patriarchy, the market and the state configures maternal subjectivity, particularly under the leadership of Xi Jinping. By examining the emotional meaning of motherhood produced by the TV series, this study unveils the inherent contradiction of mother love as a site of political investment. It argues that the ambivalence surrounding mother love stems from its entanglement with patriarchal expectations, the burdens of emotional labor, and the state’s vested interests.
Funder
Research Services and Knowledge Transfer Office, University of Macau
Subject
Visual Arts and Performing Arts,Cultural Studies
Reference78 articles.
1. BBC. 2021. “中国教育：双减新政落地满月 教培行业经历最寒冷的暑假 (China’s Education: One Month After the Implementation of the Double Reduction Policy, the Industry of Education and Training Experience the Coldest Summer Vacation).” August 26. https://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/simp/chinese-news-58329276.
2. ‘Neoliberal motherhood’: Workplace lactation and changing conceptions of working motherhood in the contemporary US
3. Feeding Mothers’ Love: Stories of Breastfeeding and Mothering in Urban China