2. Gendered Subjectivities in a Patriarchal China

Two clusters of concepts are vital to this book. The first cluster consists of agency, subjectivity, coercion, coping and resistance; the second focuses on patriarchy, filial piety, masculinity and femininity. The aim of this chapter is to provide a theoretical framework based on these concepts, which will help to explain the overarching research questions. The conceptualised framework of agency, subjectivity and coercion is fundamental to the book as a whole. The discussion of patriarchy, femininity and masculinity also serves as a theoretical pillar for the empirical chapters, especially for intimate relations, discussed in Chap. 5.