From Narratives of the Nation to Narratives of Gender: The Study of Modern Women’s History in Chinese Academia *

Abstract

The study of women’s history in Chinese academia is undergoing a shift from narratives centered on the nation to narratives centered on gender, a shift that represents an effort to break free from the long-standing dominance and control of nationalist discourses over understandings of gender. Gender narratives critique the portrayal of women as mere victims in nationalist accounts, advocating instead for the restoration of women’s historical identities, emotions, and agency to reveal the complexities of women’s history that nationalist frameworks have obscured. In deconstructing nationalist narratives, however, the focus on discursive representation in gender narratives often reduces gender solely to relationships of power and domination, neglecting an analysis of the social structures that have historically restricted women and their rights. To construct a more inclusive narrative of women’s history, our research must be situated within the context of social history, examining the interplay between discursive representation and social structures. This approach will create broader, more inclusive gender narratives that will further advance the study of women’s history.