HONG KONG – Government officials in China believe that guys get effeminate and want to make them harder.
In the latest effort to address what academics and news outlets are calling a ‘masculinity crisis’, the Ministry of Education has proposed emphasizing the ‘spirit of yang’ or masculine traits by hiring more sports instructors and introducing basic physical education classes. and high schools. .
The plan, in response to a top official’s call to “prevent the feminization of young men,” was released last week. It didn’t include a timeline and some other details, but it caused outrage online and continues to spark heated discussions on social media. A hashtag has been viewed 1.5 billion times on Weibo, a popular microblogging platform.
Some social media users expressed support for the proposal, with one of them writing: “It’s hard to imagine such effeminate guys defending their country when an outside invasion looms.” But others saw evidence of sexual discrimination and the perpetuation of gender stereotypes.
Even state news media seemed to question the ministry’s proposal. CCTV, the state broadcaster, wrote on its Weibo account on Saturday: “Education is not just about cultivating ‘men’ and ‘women’. It is more important to develop a willingness to take responsibility. “
The broadcaster also offered a loose interpretation of yang, writing, “Men show ‘the spirit of yang’ in posture, mind and physique, which is a kind of beauty, but ‘the spirit of yang’ doesn’t just mean ‘manly behavior’. . ”
In recent years, as the country tried to strengthen its army and take into account spoiled children, mostly boys, born under the one-child policy, a more stringent idea of masculinity has emerged. Television censorship has blurred male pop stars’ pierced ears. Well-groomed actors have been publicly derided as ‘little fresh meat’ and parents have enrolled boys in boot camps, hoping they will become ‘real men’.
The Ministry of Education’s plan is in response to a proposal made in May by Si Zefu, a top delegate on the Standing Committee of China’s People’s Political Consultative Conference. Called “Proposal to Prevent the Feminization of Young Men”, Mr Si ‘s proposal said that “many, many more” men should be hired as physical education teachers to exercise a “male influence” on schools.
In a statement, Mr Si said the prevalence of female teachers in kindergartens and elementary schools and the popularity of “handsome boys” in pop culture had made boys “weak, inferior and shy”. He also lamented that boys no longer wanted to become war heroes, warning that such a trend could endanger the Chinese people.
Last year, Xinhua, a state-run news agency, reported on the gender imbalance in physical education teachers and the difficulties in luring men into the low-paid profession, which is currently dominated by women. In the past, state news media have also blamed video games, masturbation and a lack of exercise, rendering many young men unfit for the military.
Mark Ma, an 18-year-old high school student in Shenzhen, said he welcomed a physical education overhaul but didn’t think it would have a huge effect on shaping masculinity.
“Junior high level physical education absolutely needs to be improved because a lot of people don’t care about this. They only care about academics, ”he said. “I remember a lot of classmates sitting on the sidelines during gym classes and doing their homework.”
He added that he did not believe that “physical education teachers are highly valued in schools; this new policy and better benefits can attract more people to this field. “
As for inducing “the spirit of yang” in boys, he said, “I think the main focus of this is on increasing physical strength, and what they mean by ‘manhood’ is unclear.” He added, “I think it is more important to come from a person’s upbringing and daily habits. Personally, I don’t think using this label will have much of an effect on physical education habits. “
While the new Ministry of Education plan did not explicitly propose a different treatment for boys and girls, educators like Liu Wenli, a professor at Beijing Normal University and an expert in health and sex education, see some dangers. Ms. Liu said that even the reference to “feminization of male youth” could lead to more bullying of students because of their gender expression, identity or sexual orientation.
“Educators cannot advocate for preventing bullying in schools while feeding the soil for bullying in schools,” she wrote on Weibo.
While some Chinese high schools separate students on the basis of physical ability and others allow them to choose their sports classes, most physical education classes at the primary level are mixed. But fitness classes are increasingly seen by officials as a solution to the perceived problem of weak boys.
Chunxiao Li, a university researcher who studies inclusive physical education, said by phone Thursday that creating an inclusive environment is important. “Overemphasizing masculinity, femininity or physical disabilities is actually detrimental to the diversity and inclusiveness of society,” he said. “It can create a label or a stereotype.”
Dr. Li said physical education teachers should ultimately focus on developing a versatile learner.
Elsie Chen contributed to reporting.