Event Details

LUCC PhD seminar series talk, with Tianxin Li (Lancaster University)

Abstract: Since the implementation of China’s three-child policy in 2021, public discussions around reproductive choices have intensified. However, little research has explored how voluntary childlessness is discursively constructed in China. This study adopts a Critical Discourse Studies (CDS) framework and analyses relevant posts on Weibo and Xiaohongshu collected over a three-year period (2021–2024). Methodologically, it combines Corpus-Assisted Discourse Studies (CADS), Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL), and Multimodal Discourse Analysis (MDA) to examine how linguistic patterns and visual strategies co-construct meanings. A preliminary analysis found that individuals frequently employ mental processes to express personal intentions. Negation structures are also widespread, often used to reject the societal expectations embedded in traditional motherhood roles. Visually, images frequently deploy colour, composition, and metaphorical elements to reinforce textual meanings, often exhibiting strong ironic features that amplify the critical orientation of the discourse. Overall, this study highlights the dynamic interplay between reproductive choices, gender identity, and broader socio-structural conditions.

All are welcome - Teams link: https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_OWM2MzMxY2MtYmFlMi00MDJjLTlmMzEtZTdjNGFkMWNlNDM2%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%229c9bcd11-977a-4e9c-a9a0-bc734090164a%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22dd2a208a-f4c2-425c-bdc1-7745b92eb6ea%22%7d