Searching for Women in the Nation / By Wang Zheng

Even if seeds fall on barren ground, we will plant a few trees in the wasteland for those who come after us. This book offers a novel examination of the socialist state through the lens of gender, uncovering a long-overlooked interplay of institutional gender politics. From the organizational development of the All-China Women's Federation and the political crises it faced, to the unfolding of feminist practices in the cultural sphere, Wang Zheng meticulously analyzes a wealth of primary documents and historical materials. She reveals the strategies employed by feminists within socialist states: how they asserted their subjectivity at the margins of power, how they subtly conveyed their positions, and how they leveraged mainstream political language to voice their demands. Their persistent, everyday efforts subtly challenged the seemingly monolithic system, accumulating transferable experiences for women's groundbreaking actions within the national trajectory. This work thus forms an indispensable chapter in the "genealogy" of Chinese feminism. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The historical materials explored in this book are virtually unknown in academic circles. Wang Zheng unearths the deep logic of a radical yet unfinished feminist cultural revolution between 1949 and 1964, offering fresh perspectives for understanding the political and cultural landscape of this critical period. —Dorothy Y. Ko, Professor of History, Columbia University As one of the leading scholars in the study of Chinese women's history, Wang Zheng not only excavates this long-underrecognized history but also offers profound challenges to existing narratives of women during the Maoist era. —Joan Judge, Professor of History, York University By placing the experiences of state feminists at the narrative's core, Wang Zheng compels us to rethink the role of culture in social transformation, the position of individuals within party institutions, and the dynamics of power in political movements. Drawing on cross-referenced local archives, official publications, biographical memoirs, and nearly sixty oral histories, this book represents a significant breakthrough in the study of modern Chinese history, gender history, and the history of socialism. —Denise Y. Ho, Associate Professor, School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University