Work and Family Lives of Chinese Non-Heterosexual Women in China: Implications for Adult Worker Model

• In Event: 2351 - Section on the Sociology of Sex and Gender Refereed Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable 100min: 12. Work/Family Considerations

Abstract

This study focuses on the difficulties faced by Chinese non-heterosexual women, who are commonly known as lalas in China, in taking part in the family as an adult and in the work economy as a worker. It demonstrates how the examination of these difficulties contributes to the studies of the adult worker model.

A growing body of literature has argued that there is a shift from the male breadwinner model to the adult worker model, which suggests that both men and women are obliged to take an active role in the paid labour market, and that women are no longer expected to bear all caring responsibilities in the family. However, the model has largely overlooked the interplay of gender and sexual factors in the relationship between work and family lives. In particular, little attention has been paid to the ways in which the adult worker model can accommodate the experiences and needs of sexual minority women.

The present study addresses this gap by studying the experiences of lalas in organizing their work and family lives in China. It draws on the findings of semi-structured interviews with 20 lala-identified women and those of social media analysis of online posts related to lala issues in China. By revealing their difficulties in gaining equal access to independent and adequate economic resources through paid work and in determining their own family lives outside the conventional heterosexual family structure, our research explores and discusses potential ways for improving the adult worker model.

Authors

• Emma Hongshuo Liu, Hong Kong Polytechnic University

• Iris Po Yee Lo, The University of Oxford

• Sam Wai Kam Yu, Hong Kong Baptist University