Caring in Times of Precarity - A Study of Single Women Doing Creative Work in Shanghai

Caring in Times of Precarity draws together two key cultural observations: the increase in those living a single life, and the growing attraction of creative careers. Straddling this historical juncture, the book focuses on one particular group of 'precariat': single women in Shanghai in various forms of creative (self-)employment. While negotiating their share of the uncanny creative work ethos, these women also find themselves interpellated as shengnü ('left-over women') in a society configured by a mix of Confucian values, heterosexual ideals, and global images of womanhood. Following these women's professional, social and intimate lives, the book refuses to see their singlehood and creative labour as problematic, and them as victims. It departs from dominant thinking on precarity, which foregrounds and critiques the contemporary need to be flexible, mobile, and spontaneous to the extent of (self-)exploitation, accepting insecurity. The book seeks to understand- empirically and specifically-women's everyday struggles and pleasures. It highlights the up-close, everyday embodied, affective, and subjective experience in a particular Chinese city, with broader, global resonances well beyond China. Exploring the limits of the politics of precarity, the book proposes an ethics of care.

List of contents

Chapter 1: Living on my own, creatively, precariously.- Chapter 2: Living with their own images.- Chapter 3: Living with a generation - qilinghou, balinghou, jiulinghou.- Chapter 4: Balancing work/life?.- Chapter 5: To love, to live.- Chapter 6: Living with us - the case of Kunqu.- Chapter 7: Living with the city.- Chapter 8: Living with themselves, creating themselves.- Chapter 9: Epilogue.

About the author

Chow Yiu Fai is Associate Professor at the Department of Humanities and Creative Writing of Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong.

Summary

Caring in Times of Precarity draws together two key cultural observations: the increase in those living a single life, and the growing attraction of creative careers. Straddling this historical juncture, the book focuses on one particular group of ‘precariat’: single women in Shanghai in various forms of creative (self-)employment. While negotiating their share of the uncanny creative work ethos, these women also find themselves interpellated as shengnü (‘left-over women’) in a society configured by a mix of Confucian values, heterosexual ideals, and global images of womanhood. Following these women’s professional, social and intimate lives, the book refuses to see their singlehood and creative labour as problematic, and them as victims. It departs from dominant thinking on precarity, which foregrounds and critiques the contemporary need to be flexible, mobile, and spontaneous to the extent of (self-)exploitation, accepting insecurity. The book seeks to understand– empirically and specifically–women’s everyday struggles and pleasures. It highlights the up-close, everyday embodied, affective, and subjective experience in a particular Chinese city, with broader, global resonances well beyond China. Exploring the limits of the politics of precarity, the book proposes an ethics of care.

Additional text

“The book is … a remarkable read for its critical recalibration of certain Western-based theories on womanhood, feminism and precarity that – as a consequence – does not fall into the trap of Asianisms and rejection of theories from the ‘West’ (e.g., Foucault, Mouffe). This book is certainly a good choice for scholars and students in critical area studies, Asia/Chinese Studies, Gender and Urban Studies, as well as Transcultural and Globalisation Studies.” (newbooks.asia, April 9, 2021)
“Chow Yiu Fai’s book … offers an interesting study of a special group of individuals in contemporary China: single women creative workers in Shanghai. … The intersectional approach to gender and creative work adopted, innovative and multiple methodology used, and non-Western ethnographic perspective make Caring in Times of Precarity a highly valuable contribution to current theorizations about creative labour.” (Jian Lin, China Information, Vol. 33 (3), November, 2019)
“This recently published book by Yiu Fai Chow nonetheless offers many exciting new perspectives … . Chow adopts a flexible and informant-oriented approach to define what creative work is. … Chow is successful in presenting to us a different reality of Chinese single women and creative workers … . This book is a good reminder for all of us to revisit the role of academic research and knowledge production in times of precarity.” (Lucetta Y. L. Kam, China Review International, Vol. 26 (4), 2019)

Report

"The book is ... a remarkable read for its critical recalibration of certain Western-based theories on womanhood, feminism and precarity that - as a consequence - does not fall into the trap of Asianisms and rejection of theories from the 'West' (e.g., Foucault, Mouffe). This book is certainly a good choice for scholars and students in critical area studies, Asia/Chinese Studies, Gender and Urban Studies, as well as Transcultural and Globalisation Studies." (newbooks.asia, April 9, 2021)
"Chow Yiu Fai's book ... offers an interesting study of a special group of individuals in contemporary China: single women creative workers in Shanghai. ... The intersectional approach to gender and creative work adopted, innovative and multiple methodology used, and non-Western ethnographic perspective make Caring in Times of Precarity a highly valuable contribution to current theorizations about creative labour." (Jian Lin, China Information, Vol. 33 (3), November, 2019)
"This recently published book by Yiu Fai Chow nonetheless offers many exciting new perspectives ... . Chow adopts a flexible and informant-oriented approach to define what creative work is. ... Chow is successful in presenting to us a different reality of Chinese single women and creative workers ... . This book is a good reminder for all of us to revisit the role of academic research and knowledge production in times of precarity." (Lucetta Y. L. Kam, China Review International, Vol. 26 (4), 2019)

Product details

• Authors: Chow Yiu Fai
• Publisher: Springer, Berlin
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 01.01.2019
• EAN: 9783319768977
• ISBN: 978-3-31-976897-7
• No. of pages: 345
• Dimensions: 156 mm x 26 mm x 218 mm
• Weight: 588 g
• Illustrations: XII, 345 p. 9 illus.
• Series: Palgrave Studies in Globalization, Culture and Society; Palgrave Studies in Globalization, Culture and Society
• Subject: Social sciences, law, business > Sociology > Women's and gender studies