Indigenizing feminist rage: The affective formation of rad-feminist politics in digital China

Abstract

This study explores the everyday digital practices of Jinü (Chinese radical feminists) through the lens of the cultural politics of emotion. Based on three years of digital ethnography and interviews, the research identifies “rage” as a critical “emotional rule” among Jinü. This collective rage, shaped by affective discursive practices and rooted in various sub-emotions experienced by members, manifests in three forms: rage directed at men, other women, and LGBTQ + individuals. These rage-driven feminist practices constitute a form of “soft activism,” fostering “slow resistance” within authoritarian constraints. However, this rage-centric feminist politics exposes an “unfinished business of sentimentality,” characterized by three forms of ambivalence: the commodification of emotion, the intensification of misogyny, and a reliance on individualized feminist solutions. By analyzing the complex interplay between Jinü's affective subjectivities and social contexts, this research offers a nuanced perspective on Chinese radical feminism, shedding light on non-activism-oriented feminist practices in digital China.