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162. Haunting Femininity and Postcolonial Imaginations

Fri, March 17, 5:15 to 7:15pm, Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel, Floor: 4th Floor, Forest Hill

Session Submission Type: Organized Panel

Abstract

Ideals of the modern working woman of the Asian economic miracle boom years came crashing down with the financial crisis of 1997. In Thailand, the great feminist crumble was intertwined with a complex mesh of identity crises—of the nation, of culture, of the Thai women’s position and role vis-à-vis the post-1997 world, etc. There have been quite a few attempts and ongoing quests to adjust and overcome the challenges of the 21st century. At the transnational level, there is an obvious rise of Chinese influence through economic aide, investment, and tourism. Nostalgic longings for Chinese femininity of the colonial era has also appeared to be on the rise and perhaps even replacing the militaristic American Cold War fantasy of Bangkok nightlife. A slew of Chinese women’s literary works have also been translated in rapid succession by a leading figure in the promotion of PRC cultural diplomacy in Thailand. Her daring Chinese feminist message, however, appears to have been completely ignored by the mainstream literary community. At the local level, northeastern communities revive and revitalize the ravenous spirit belief and the tradition of ghost panic as a way to negotiate the clash between modern ideals and traditional values on femininity. Meanwhile in Bangkok, a horrifically potent female ghost haunts the Thai film industry in the quest to reclaim the colonized female body and perhaps even salvage the desecrated national pride in the post-1997 era.

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