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Article published In: Journal of Asian Pacific Communication
Vol. 35:2 (2025) ► pp.133–156

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In pursuit of childfree lifestyle?

Discursive legitimation of Chinese childfree women on RedNote

 | University of Science and Technology Beijing
Published online: 16 September 2025
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/japc.25024.cha
Abstract
The present research examines how childfree women in mainland China legitimate their lifestyle choices through self-narratives on RedNote. With a focus on 90 high-engagement posts using legitimation strategies, this article identifies several themes regarding RedNote posts. These themes challenge Confucian norms that equate womanhood with motherhood, including (1) self-empowerment that prioritizes personal autonomy over motherhood mandates, (2) economy-smartness that rejects childrearing’s financial burdens, (3) present-focused living that values current experiences over familial or generational futures, and (4) kidphobia-informed resistance that cites health, emotional, and marital costs of reproduction. It is found that RedNote functions as both a feminist counterpublic and a neoliberal space where individual empowerment converges with collective resistance. Such digital discourses demonstrate how women navigate China’s pronatalist policies while redefining femininity. Research findings contribute to understanding how social media facilitates alternative gender narratives in restrictive contexts, offering insights into reproductive autonomy, digital feminism, and the fertility decline in mainland China.
Article outline
  • Introduction
  • Female identity in contemporary China
  • Methodology
    • Research data
    • Analytical procedures
    • Ethical considerations
  • Theoretical framework
  • Results
    • Childfreeness as a self-empowerment
    • Childfreeness as an economy-smartness
    • Childfreeness as a present-focus
    • Childfreeness as a kidphobia-informed resistance
  • Discussion
  • Concluding remarks
  • Notes
  • References
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