From Wise Mother/Good Wife to Tiger Mom: Women in 20th Century China

The term ‘tiger mom’, coined by Chinese-American law scholar Amy Chua in her 2011 memoir to describe Chinese moms who practised strict parenting to ensure their children’s success, sometimes at the expense of their social and emotional development, quickly gained global popularity. Despite this concept’s deep roots in Confucianism and Chinese culture, Chinese moms had not always been tiger moms. How was motherhood viewed in China in the past?

How did the transformation of an imperial dynasty to a Republic, then to a communist state, and finally to ‘socialism with Chinese characteristics’ affect women and mothers in 20 th century China? In this talk, Dr Yushu Geng will explore the changing notions of ideal womanhood and motherhood in China’s long twentieth century. Dr. Yushu Geng Dr. Yushu Geng is a historian of modern China with a particular focus on women and gender. Prior to working at Trinity College Dublin as a postdoctoral researcher, she studied at Durham University and University of Cambridge. Chaired by Dr. Isabella Jackson.