Time: 12:30 – 14:00

Venue: LT2, UG/F, Sino Building, CUHK (In person)

Moderator: Prof. Jing SONG, Associate Professor, Gender Studies Programme, The Chinese University of Hong Kong

Commentator: Prof. Ivy WONG, Associate Professor, Gender Studies Programme, The Chinese University of Hong Kong

Mini-Conference of Thesis of MA in Gender Studies 2024

1/ Constructing Gendered Fear on Digital Platforms: Understanding Young Women’s Fear of Childbirth (FOC) on Red

Speaker: CHEN Peiwei
Supervisor: Prof. Ling HAN

Abstract:
This study aims to understand the experiences of young female users on Red in constructing FOC discourse, to enrich the understanding of fear of childbirth on digital platforms. The research methods are Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) and qualitative interviews. In the first phase, Python is utilized to extract notes related to FOC discourse. Subsequently, CDA is used to explore the underlying message of these FOC discourses. To ground the CDA findings in the experiences of young women, this study recruits 13 participants. These individuals, who are active users of Red and engage in the construction of FOC discourse, belong to the demographic cohorts born in the 1990s and 2000s. Through semi‐structured interviews, this study seeks to explore how FOC discourses are constructed within specific contexts. In order to further explore how digital platforms amplify gendered fear, this study will integrate the results of content analysis and qualitative interviews to examine the social factors influencing the construction of FOC discourse on Red, thereby revealing its uniqueness in the Chinese context.

Biography:
CHEN Peiwei is an MA student in Gender Studies at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Her research interests include gender and digital platforms, as well as gender dynamics in domestic and intimate spheres.

2/ The Change of Female Image in Chinese Family Films and Its Influence on Contemporary Chinese Female Thought

Speaker: WANG Zijie
Supervisor: Dr. Sonia WONG

Abstract:
In recent years, Chinese film has been booming, and family film as a branch has also shown different changes, in which there are different narratives of women’s image in family film. This thesis focuses on Chinese family movies in the 21st century, mainly selecting three movies, Einstein & Einstein (《狗十三》, 2013), Spring Tide (《春潮》, 2019), and Sister (《我的姐姐》, 2021), to study the images of women in them. Female empowerment in family films is analyzed from three perspectives: daughter, sister, and mother. In addition, this thesis reveals the development of Chinese feminism in the film and culture industry by examining the influence of female images in family movies on the audience’s thoughts.

Biography:
WANG Zijie, MA student in gender studies program. 

3/ The Presentation of Mother-Daughter Relationships in Contemporary Chinese Family Films

Speaker: ZOU Yufei
Supervisor: Dr. Sonia WONG

Abstract:
Since the 21st century, Chinese film creation has been in a new pattern of diversification, differentiation and industrialization, but family films still maintain their prosperous
development trend in the development of the eras. Among all the family relationship, motherdaughter relationship is not only a very important part of family relations, but also a branch of social relations. Exploring the mother‐daughter relationship in women’s family movies can not only reveal women’s psychological structure and understand women’s relationship patterns, but also analyze women’s survival dilemma in patriarchal families and societies. This paper will use 15 films that focus on the mother‐daughter relationship as analysis texts, use text analysis methods to analyze the presentation and characteristics of the mother‐daughter relationship, and briefly explain the reasons for its emergence and shaping.

Biography:
ZOU Yufei, MA student of gender studies programme.

Gender Studies RPG & MA Outstanding Thesis Award

1/ ZHOU Siyuan
PhD Thesis Title: Becoming Insurance Agents in Hong Kong: Career Choices and Social Mobility Among Female Mainland Graduates
Supervisor: Prof. Jing SONG

2/ TANG Xiaolei
MPhil Thesis Title: Empathic Accuracy, Mental Depletion, and Relationship Satisfaction in Romantic Couples
Supervisor: Prof. Ivy Wong

3/ ZHEN Lin
MPhil Thesis Title: 親密關係幻想與數據庫類型：商業化原耽小說中性別叙事的生産與消費機制
Supervisor: Prof. Jia TAN

4/ ZHANG Xunyue
MA Thesis Title: Becoming Online Bloggers on RED: Empowerment and Challenges in the Use of social media by mainland immigrant wives in Hong Kong
Supervisor: Prof. Ling HAN

Language: English

Registration: https://cloud.itsc.cuhk.edu.hk/webform/view.php?id=13685978