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Suzhi as Cultural-Moral Governance: Prescribing Migrant Worker Masculinities in Chinese State Media

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: This article examines the construction of migrant worker masculinity in Chinese state media, introducing “cultural-moral governance” to analyze the state’s regulatory mechanisms in the Xi Jinping era. Through discourse analysis of newspapers and television performances (2004–2023), the study reveals how suzhi (human quality) functions as a discursive instrument aligning personal aspirations with national objectives within the Chinese Dream framework. Findings demonstrate a strategic shift from promoting consumption-oriented aspirations during economic growth to valorizing labor’s dignity during slowdown—operationalized through a “Desiring, Diligent, and Devoted” framework. The research uncovers a paradoxical “inclusive exclusion” strategy that simultaneously integrates and marginalizes migrant workers in national narratives. By examining the evolution of gendered suzhi discourse, this article illuminates the interplay between neoliberal desires and socialist collectivism in China’s development path, which combines market dynamics with authoritarian control through sophisticated mechanisms that naturalize inequalities while maintaining stability.

Source: Men and Masculinities

DOI: 10.1177/1097184x251333785

Author: Jun Lei

Institution: Texas A&M University

Language: English

Topic: China's Socioeconomic Reforms and Governance

Subfield: Political Science and International Relations

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Reduced inequalities, Gender equality, Decent work and economic growth

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,650