Structural and Cultural Mechanisms of Childcaring Labor in China: Neoliberalism,Confucian Ethics,and Motherhood Negotiation

Abstract

This study critically examines how neoliberal market logic and Confucian ethics intertwine to shape motherhood roles in China, revealing the negotiation mechanisms of gendered childcaring responsibilities under structural constraints and cultural norms. Integrating Bourdieu’s concept of symbolic violence and Hewlett’s “mommy track,” we propose an intersectional perspective: the former explains how motherhood responsibilities are misrecognized as “feminine nature” through moralization and naturalization, while the latter shows how structural workplace exclusion institutionalizes motherhood as socioeconomic inevitability. Based on semi-structured interviews with 20 full-time mothers and thematic analysis, this article challenges the mainstream narrative of motherhood as a “private choice,” highlighting it as a critical field of cultural hegemony and institutionalized inequality. Findings further demonstrate that under Confucian collectivism, motherhood negotiation not only reproduces gender inequality but also intensifies class competition and intergenerational dynamics. The study calls for policy reform, cultural shifts, and workplace innovations to achieve care socialization and gender justice.