HONG KONG – Government officials in China believe that boys want to get more feminine and make them tougher.
In a recent attempt to address what academics and news outlets call the “masculinity crisis”, the Ministry of Education has proposed emphasizing the “spirit of yang” or masculine attributes by recruiting more physical education teachers and redesigning physical education in elementary and secondary schools.
The plan, in response to a top official’s call to “prevent the feminization of male youth,” was released last week. It did not include a timeline and a few other details, but it caused an outcry online and still sparked heated debates on social media. A hashtag was displayed 1.5 billion times on Weibo, a popular microblogging platform.
Some social media users supported the proposal with a letter: “It is hard to imagine that such female boys could defend their country when an outside invasion threatens.” However, others saw evidence of sexual discrimination and the persistence of gender stereotypes.
Even state news media appeared to be questioning the ministry’s proposal. CCTV, the state broadcaster, wrote on its Weibo account on Saturday: “Education is not just about cultivating ‘men’ and ‘women’. It is more important to develop a willingness to take responsibility. “
The broadcaster also offered a loose rendition of yang, writing, “Men display ‘the spirit of yang’ in posture, mind and physique, which is a kind of beauty, but ‘the spirit of yang’ does not simply mean ‘masculine behavior’. ‘”
In recent years, as the country has sought to strengthen its military and expect spoiled children, mostly boys, born under its one-child policy, a stricter notion of masculinity has emerged. TV censors have blurred the pierced ears of male pop stars. Well-groomed actors have been publicly ridiculed as “little fresh meat”, and parents have enrolled boys in bootcamps in the hopes that they will become “real men.”
The Ministry of Education’s plan is in response to a proposal made in May by Si Zefu, a senior delegate to the Standing Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference. Referring to the “Proposal to Prevent Feminization of Male Adolescents”, Mr. Si said that “many, many more” men should be hired as physical education teachers to exercise “male influence” in schools.
In a statement, Mr. Si said the proliferation of female teachers in kindergartens and elementary schools and the popularity of “handsome boys” in pop culture made boys “weak, inferior and shy”. He also lamented that boys no longer wanted to become war heroes, warning that such a trend could endanger the Chinese people.
Last year, Xinhua, a state-run news agency, reported on the gender imbalance of physical education teachers and the difficulty of luring men into the low-paying profession that is currently dominated by women. In the past, the state news media have also blamed video games, masturbation and sedentary lifestyle as a result of many young men being unsuitable for the military.
Mark Ma, an 18-year-old high school student in Shenzhen, said he welcomed a revision of physical education but didn’t think it would have a big impact on masculinity shaping.
“Physical education at junior high definitely needs to be improved as a lot of people don’t care. They only care about academics, ”he said. “I remember a lot of classmates who sat on the sidelines during physical education class and did their homework.”
He added that he did not believe that “physical education teachers are very important in schools; These new guidelines and better benefits could attract more people to this area. “
Regarding the generation of the “spirit of yang” in boys, he said, “I think the main focus is on increasing physical strength, and what they mean by“ manhood ”is unclear.” He added, “I think , it is more important to get away from education and daily habits. Personally, I don’t think using this label is going to have much of an impact on physical education habits. “
While the Ministry of Education’s new plan did not specifically provide for different treatment of boys and girls, educators like Liu Wenli, a professor at Beijing Normal University and an expert in health and sex education, see some dangers. Ms. Liu said that even referring to the “feminization of youthful males” based on their gender expression, identity, or sexual orientation could lead to more student bullying.
“Educators cannot call for bullying prevention in schools while tending to school bullying soil,” she wrote of Weibo.
While some Chinese high schools segregate students based on physical ability and others allow them to choose their sport classes, most elementary school sport classes are mixed. But fitness classes are increasingly viewed by officials as a solution to the perceived problem of weak boys.
Chunxiao Li, a university researcher studying inclusive sports, said over the phone on Thursday that it was important to create an inclusive environment. “Excessive emphasis on masculinity, femininity or physical disabilities actually has a detrimental effect on the diversity and inclusiveness of society,” he said. “It can create a label or a stereotype.”
Dr. Li said physical education teachers should ultimately focus on developing a well-rounded student.
Elsie Chen contributed to the coverage.
