Censorship and female identity in contemporary China

Wang, Ziyao (2025) Censorship and female identity in contemporary China. MPhil(R) thesis, University of Glasgow.

Abstract

This dissertation examines how theatre censorship operates in Xi Jinping's China, particularly in feminist theatre. By focusing on interviews with Zhiheshe members, a student organization that performed The Vagina Monologues for over a decade, this research highlights the strategies feminist practitioners adopt to navigate institutional, public, and self-imposed censorship. Drawing on theories of power by Foucault, Butler, and Bourdieu, it explores how censorship not only restricts feminist voices but shapes public discourse on gender and identity. The study fills a gap in literature on contemporary feminist theatre in China, providing insight into the complex dynamics between censorship, gender, and cultural expression in an authoritarian context.

• Item Type: Thesis (MPhil(R))
• Qualification Level: Masters
• Subjects: J Political Science > JQ Political institutions Asia; P Language and Literature > PN Literature (General) > PN2000 Dramatic representation. The Theater
• Colleges/Schools: College of Arts & Humanities > School of Culture and Creative Arts > Theatre Film and TV Studies
• Supervisor's Name: Heinrich, Professor Anselm and Liang, Dr. Hongling
• Date of Award: 2025
• Depositing User: Theses Team
• Unique ID: glathesis:2025-84884
• Copyright: Copyright of this thesis is held by the author.
• Date Deposited: 11 Feb 2025 11:52
• Last Modified: 11 Feb 2025 11:53
• Thesis DOI: 10.5525/gla.thesis.84884
• URI: https://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/84884