Dec 20, 2018
verge

Sex and The State: The Impact of State Policy on Sexual Expression in China

“During the Cultural Revolution, the central government defined love as collective enthusiasm for the state. This created a paradigm where expressions of love and desire for the purpose of self-fulfillment were framed as selfish, and even anarchistic.”

“In the span of a relatively short amount of time, the Chinese were subjected to two opposing messages from the state. Initially, they were encouraged to use their sexuality and nationalism to support the state by bearing children. Not long after, they were told to show their patriotism by limiting the number of children they had. In both instances, however, sex was framed as a biological imperative, and not a means to fulfill one’s romantic or sexual desire.”

“The focus of the state and society shifted from class struggle to economic development, and with this shift came the rise of self-determinism: the actions of one’s self are now determined by themselves alone. When thought of in terms of sex, what was once viewed as only a means to increase the workforce and population became a source of pleasure for pleasure’s sake.

by Emma Loftis

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