The Expectation and Reality of Reproduction Politics: An Ethnic and Gender Political Analysis of Malaysian Chinese’s Reproductive Profile
Date Issued
2011
Date
2011
Author(s)
Yong, Kiat
Abstract
While Malaysia implemented a population policy which encourages childbirth in the name of ‘development’, Chinese political parties and community also appealed to the Chinese families and women for having more children. However, the Chinese fertility rate has not improved yet still declining. Why Chinese (women) refuse to have more children? This is the central question of this thesis. This study focuses on the reproduction experience of Chinese women. It examines reproductive profile, which divides into macro (national) – meso (Chinese community) – micro (Chinese women) levels, from two aspects: ethnic and gender politics.
This study realizes that population policy, under the intertwining with Malaysian racial policy, is not only a developmentalism policy but full of implication of race, gender and class. Meanwhile, the state constructs the ideology of middle class family; in addition, it promotes women to undertake the role of labor and motherhood.
At the meso-level, I emphasized that Chinese community’s perception on low population crisis should be embedded into the context of power relation between Malaysian ethnic politics and racial policy as well. In the meantime, Chinese community tends to personalize the reproduction responsibility and further problematized and attributed low fertility rate to women who do not give birth. The reproduction experiences of Chinese women are seemingly has no relation to the state policy and Chinese community’s discourse. The comparison of racial differences, however, is always hidden behind the issue of reproduction. Class-comparison strategy is being developed in order to protect their children future.
Also, from the micro perspective, this study investigates the reproductive process, which includes the concept of childbirth pregnancy and procreation, childcare and the autonomous of women, and argues that the reproduction isn’t natural but is a situational and relational process. It often involves in multiple influences and considerations, such as care network, economic resources, physical condition, mental adjustment, family relationship and personal autonomous. The disparity between the original expectation of family planning and the women reproduction experiences emerged after they negotiate and interact with reality and institution.
The lack of related external support system (Ex: medical and child care) reinforces the privatization of mothering. Women could need to relieve their pressure of reproduction by depending on upward mobility of class position and the division labor of family network. The interrelated of personalized reproduction responsibility and the privatization of mothering cause Chinese women encounter with the stratification of reproduction. Accordingly, their family planning always does not conform to the expectation of the state and Chinese community, and this reaction actually implies as a form of struggles and resistant.
Subjects
Reproduction
Body
Motherhood
Racial
Class
Gender Politics
Ethnic politics
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