Humanities MPhil Thesis Presentation - Tongren Culture: Fictional Sexuality and Queer Fandom in China

Abstract:

This thesis explores the dynamics of Chinese famale-oriented tongren culture, focusing on its manifestations as a queer fandom within contemporary Chinese fan communities.  While existing literature predominantly centers on Boys Love (BL) genres and their globalization, particularly the influence of Japanese culture, this study aims to provide a comprehensive overview of various practices including both BL and other discourse within tongren culture that challenge heteronormativity and traditional gender expressions.  Through a holistic and dynamic approach, the research examines how local Chinese media, including domestic animations, games, and literature, contribute to the queer transfiguration of fan culture.  It discusses the interplay between Boys Love.  Girls Love, and women’s fictosexuality, to present and integrated picture of tongren girls’ fictional sexualities.  The findings highlight the richness of sexual expression in tongren culture, illustrating the ways female fans navigate and reconstruct narratives, characters, and relationships within their creative works.  The study also addresses the broader implications of these practices, including their interaction with male-oriented and gender-neutral fan cultures, thereby revealing the nuanced complexities of contemporary Chinese fandom.