The rise of nande : a case study of digital feminism in China

Nande (male virtue, 男德) is a neologism analogous to but contrasting with the Chinese Confucianist term nüde (female virtue, 女德). Nande has been extensively adopted by netizens in cyberspace, serving as a tool for scrutinizing the behavior of Chinese males and commenting on gender-related social events. Through an analysis of online Weibo discussions of the term, this study attempts to investigate the emergence of nande and uncover the norms contributing to its pervasive dissemination on the Internet. Contrary to reinforcing the traditional Confucian connotations of masculinity, the findings reveal that the term challenges the prevailing patriarchal hegemony by reversing the traditional male gaze and generating new gender ideologies concerning socialist ethics. By aligning the term with mainstream Chinese ideology and adopting a generally satirical tone, nande discourse demonstrates an implicit and non-confrontational nature and exemplifies emergent forms of digital feminism, reflecting the evolving lifestyles and gender ideologies of young netizens, while providing an outlet for expressing social stress. Identifying and implementing more creative mobilizing strategies pertinent to the Chinese context are called for in order to foster greater participation, remodel gender ideology, and create new lines of thoughts on gender.