Looking for the “Most Beautiful Family” in China Showcasing “the” Family Articulates a single state vision of the Chinese family Discursively denies “problem” families: single parents, domestic violence, rural “left behind” children etc. actively not framed Rearticulates family hardship as family heroism Integrates into the xiaokang ideal (“moderate prosperity”) without state dependency – celebrating the lower middle class Values to be Promoted Harmonious couples 夫妻和睦 Filial care for elderly relatives 孝老爱亲 Scientific child rearing 科学教子 Thrifty and industrious families 勤俭持家 Neighbourliness 邻里互助 Happiness in family life 晒家庭幸福生活 Family tradition/style 家风 Source: http://news.sina.com.cn/c/2014-04-10/161429904379.shtml Xi Jinping: Exemplifying Family Values Source: http://news.cctv.com/2016/12/14/ARTIicC9w6sU65kuCdneILfI161214.shtml Xi playing with his daughter Xi and his family Xi and his mother Origins of the Campaign ACWF President Shen Yueyue explains that it is to: cultivate core socialist values promote examples of good family traditions. Response to President Xi’s 2013 speech to the 11th National Women’s Congress. The State’s Family Continuing evolution of Chinese state’s view of the role of the family (building on Glosser 2003) The continued importance of exemplars and models in Chinese governance (Bakken 2000) Westernised notions of love and romance Confucian notions of filial piety and harmony Communist Party notions scientific development President Xi’s 2013 Speech “No matter how big the changes of modern times are […] we all should pay attention to rebuilding the family, focussing on family upbringing and family traditions” Source: http://news.cntv.cn/2015/05/15/VIDE1431670320662330.shtml A Beautiful Family: The Cais This speech has been repeatedly quoted and used as the political cornerstone of the campaign Looking for the “Most Beautiful Family” in China In 2013/14 the Chinese government organisation the All China Women’s Federation (ACWF) launched the first annual “Finding the Most Beautiful Family” campaign Showcases stories and images of “beautiful” (e.g., moral exemplars) families from across China The “most beautiful” families are given awards regionally and nationally What does the campaign tell us about the Chinese state’s view of family? Which families are “beautiful”? What does that imply for state population and welfare policy? Four generation rural family Despite being busy at work, Cai personally takes his father to the doctors Even after many years away working in the city, Cai’s younger brother and his children still remit money back home Cai’s wife takes care of her husband’s elderly relatives attentively “He and his wife […] encourage their children to be filial towards their elders and become upstanding citizens” Source: http://news.cntv.cn/2015/12/08/ARTI1449557102255772.shtml Source: http://www.clady.cn/2016/redianjujiao_0516/219549.shtml Dr Alison Lamont University of Roehampton alison.lamont@Roehampton.ac.uk Twitter: am_lamont Conclusions: Family, Class and the China Dream Dedicated websites on Sina, China Central TV, ACWF 2016 National Award Ceremony The China Dream (中国梦) has been interpreted as a call for the development of China’s self-sufficient middle classes (e.g. Goodman 2013) Moderate prosperity and shouldering hardship is portrayed as something the nuclear family is best at, revealing the Chinese state’s deeply functionalist view of family (recalling Goode 1963). The propping up of the nuclear family is seen in the recent “two child” policy. Beautiful Families (Based on extensive review of online representations) “Ordinary” Both rural and urban Not rich: predominantly poor to lower-middle-class Multi-generational Family based care for the elderly Self-sufficient and independent Involved in local community and business 2015 National Award Ceremony Source: http://news.sina.com.cn/c/z/zmjt Websites and mobile apps link to stories of multiple examples of beautiful families across China like the Cais (above). WeChat Account Source: http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2015-05/14/c_1115288158.htm Televised award shows