职业妇女(Working Women)

asaresultofthedoubleagendapertainingtotheemancipationofwomen,theirparticipationinproduction,madevisibleinposters,wasseenasoneofthebasickeystobringabouttheirliberation.althoughpostersofwomenworkingasweldersorinotherindustrialactivitiesdoappearinthefirstoneandahalfdecadeofprc-posters,mostoftheiractivitiesinthisperiodremainlocatedinagriculture.

theirworkinthissectorrangedfromworkinginthefieldstoraisinglivestock.duringthecampaignswherethesettingupofsidelineoccupationswasstressed,womeninparticularplayedanimportantrole.thepervadingmessageinthesecampaignsseemedtobethatwomenstillhadplentyoftimeandenergylefttoengageinsidelineactivitiesaftertheyhadreturnedfromspendingalongdayofbackbreakingworkinthefields.bythelate1950s,whenthepoliciesdesignedtomechanizeagricultureactuallyresultedinmoremechanizedequipmentbecomingavailableintheruralareas,thetractorwasgraduallyintroducedinposters.moreoftenthatnot,postersshowedhowthispieceofmodernheavy-dutyequipmentwasoperatedbyawoman.thepropagandaintentionofthepostersfeaturingthesetractorgirlsseemedtobetwo-fold:itillustratedboththeincreasesintheavailabilityoffarmmachinery(andthesuccessesofthepartyinmakingallthispossible)andtheabilityofwomentoactuallyoperatethesemachines.inreality,however,thetractoroperatorusuallywasaman.

bythetimeoftheculturalrevolution,thistrendofshowingwomentakingontypesofworkgenerallyassociatedwithmenwascontinued.inparticularduringthetimewhenthemovementtolearnfromtheagriculturalmodelcommuneofdazhaiwasatitspeakinthe1960sand1970s,themuscularandenergeticfemaleteammembers,“imitationboys”(jiaxiaozi)or“ironwomen”(tienüren)workingundercommuneleaderchenyonggui,playedanenormouslyinfluentialfunctionasrolemodelsforwomen.irongirlsinspiredwomentotakeonthemostdifficultanddemandingtasks.generallyspeaking,then,womenwereconfinedtoagriculture.womenintheforefrontofindustrialproductiononlybecameaposterthemefromthegreatleapforwardonwards.thetrendwascontinuedinculturalrevolutionposters,whenwomenincreasinglywererepresentedwhileatworkinfactories.thiswasnotnecessarilylimitedtothetextileindustries,whichweretraditionallyseenastypicalplaceswherewomenoughttowork.

althoughnotexplicitlyvisibleinpropagandaposters,femalemembersoftheurbanworkforcewereemployedalongunstatedgenderlines.menusuallyweregiventechnicaljobs,andwomenwereassignednon-technical,auxiliaryandservicejobs,regardlessoftheireducationallevel.whilewomenwhoinprecedingdecadesoftenweredepictedwhileengagingintypicallymasculinepursuits,strongpressurewasexertedontheminthe1980storeturntotheirtraditional,morefemininerolesofservants/waitresses,mothersandchild-rearers.parallelingthechangesinthinkingamongtheleadership,theneedwasnolongerfeltinofficialarttourgewomentobreakthroughthetraditionalassumptionsofgenderinferiority.

insteadofgoingouttowork,theywereexhortedmoreandmoreoftentoreturntothestoveandengageinhomemaking.suchexhortationswerevoicedwithrenewedvigorinthelate1990s,whenfemaleworkerswhohadbeenmaderedundantbytheeverlargernumberofbankruptstate-ownedindustrieswerecalledupontotakeontheresponsibilityforthedomesticsideoffamilylife.anumberofwomenonmaternityleaveevensawtheirlegallygrantedperiodofabsenceextendedindefinitely.ontheotherhand,thelargenumbersofwomenmigratingfromruralareaslookingforemploymentinindustry,theso-calledworkinggirls(dagongmei),constitutearelativelycheapfemalelaborforcethatisexploitedrelentlesslyinthenameofeconomicdevelopment.