Elucidating Confucian Heteronormativity: The Case of Chinese Schooling

In this paper, I use Chinese schools as research sites to elucidate the novel concept of Confucian heteronormativity. This is necessary because the assumptive features of western heteronormativity misalign with, and therefore fail to explain sufficiently the Chinese cultural context. Drawing on the Confucian idea of li, understood here as norm in Chinese society, and the queer concept of heteronormativity, I theorise that Confucian heteronormativity operates by 1) fostering societal sameness and compelling individuals to conform to established gender and sexual norms; 2) the educational power of elders within relational networks in transmitting norms; and 3) encouraging self-restraint to align with these norms in daily life. I argue that this conceptualisation has the capacity to better explain how gender and sexual norms are (re)produced and (re)negotiated within a Confucianism-rooted context, and how these norms regulate the lives of individuals, particularly those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning (LGBTQ).

Drawing on a thematic analysis of interview data from 25 LGBTQ schoolteachers, I discuss the three features of Confucian heteronormativity within Chinese schools and uncover: the sense of sameness is constructed within teachers’ both professional and personal sites; the educational power of elders is evident in the encouragement for participants to engage with matchmaking for heterosexual marriage arranged by their senior colleagues; the force of self-restraint is primarily reflected in teachers’ unresponsive reactions to LGBTQ-related content and their tacit understanding to avoid confronting individuals’ (perceived) LGBTQ identities.

By putting forward Confucian heteronormativity, I aim to offer a substantial theoretical model to address the current call for decolonising knowledge in the field of sociology of education, particularly in relation to gender and sexuality. In addition, this framework provides potential strategies for LGBTQ practitioners and educators to subvert and negotiate the Chinese system from within.