Course Description

[This course was previously CCHU9071 “Man Up: Masculinities in the Making”. Students who have completed CCHU9071 are not allowed to take CCCH9067.]  

Today, Chinese men are grappling with a perceived crisis. Male students are outnumbered by females at most universities across China. Increasingly, young men find their wives earning more than they do. There is mounting pressure on China’s most popular male idols to undergo image makeovers to adopt a more masculine appearance. Coupled with the banishment of “sissy men” and the valorization of patriotic movies, the state is urging young men to toughen up to face both local and international challenges. These phenomena prompt crucial questions: What is the current status of men in Chinese society? What does the future hold for them?

Man Up explores various perspectives on how Chinese men have confronted, deflected, or negotiated the challenges they face. We delve into how issues of masculinity intersect with class, education, and the rural-urban divide in China. We examine how socio-economic changes in China, such as the one-child policy and rapid industrialization, have affected expectations and pressures on Chinese men. We pose questions like: How do Chinese men negotiate their masculinity in the face of Western influences and globalization? What impact does the rise of feminism in China have on the perception and reality of masculinity?

Man Up illustrates how the contemporary definition of masculinity in China is influenced by physiological, social, and economic factors. The aim is to delve into complex discussions around issues such as male sexuality, family relations, and nation-building within a Chinese context. By investigating various perspectives of masculinity through the lens of Chinese history and other disciplines, students will reflect upon and challenge existing narratives, tropes, and opinions.

Course Learning Outcomes

On completing the course, students will be able to:

• 1. Analyze the historical role of different stakeholders in sustaining and challenging men’s predominant position in China.
  2. Explain the political, social and cultural factors that shaped the ideals of Chinese masculinities at various historical junctures.
  3. Evaluate how China’s twentieth-century reforms and revolutions shaped men’s evolving image and experience.
  4. Reflect upon and critically assess the value of Chinese masculinity studies as an emerging field in the humanities.

Offer Semester and Day of Teaching

First semester (Wed)

Study Load

Activities	Number of hours
Lectures	24
Tutorials	8
Reading / Self-study	38
Assessment: Writing assignments	30
Assessment: Group project and presentation (incl preparation)	20
Total:	120

Assessment: 100% coursework

Assessment Tasks	Weighting
Tutorial presentations and debates	40
In-class assessments	20
Podcast	40

Required Reading

Selections from:

• Choi, S. Y. P., & Peng, Y. (2016). Masculine Compromise: Migration, Family, and Gender in China. Oakland, California: University of California Press.
• Hird, D., & Song, G. (Eds.). (2018). The Cosmopolitan Dream: Transnational Chinese Masculinities in a Global Age. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press.
• Lin, J. Z. (2024). Making National Heroes: The Exemplarist Production of Masculinities in Contemporary China. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press.
• Louie, K. (Ed.). (2016). Changing Chinese Masculinities: From Imperial Pillars of State to Global Real Men. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press.
• Wei, J. (2020). Queer Chinese Cultures and Mobilities: Kinship, Migration, and Middle Classes. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press.

Course Co-ordinator and Teacher(s)

Course Co-ordinator	Contact
Dr C.L. Tsang School of Humanities (History), Faculty of Arts	Tel: 3917 2864 Email: cctsang1@hku.hk
Teacher(s)	Contact
Dr C.L. Tsang School of Humanities (History), Faculty of Arts	Tel: 3917 2864 Email: cctsang1@hku.hk