BABIES’ BOTTOMS FOR A BETTER WORLD HYGIENE, MODERNITIES AND SOCIAL CHANGE IN NORTHWEST CHINA AND AUSTRALASIA KELLY FRANCES DOMBROSKI A thesis presented to the University of Western Sydney, School of Humanities and Communication Arts, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy 2012 For the regulars on ec8ANZ — virtual friends who kept it real. i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Over the six years of researching and writing this thesis there have been many, many individuals who have contributed in some way. Thanks are due to the following, and more besides. At the Australian National University: thanks to Winifred Loy, Jo Busby, Sandra Davenport, Tim Sharp, Pyone Myat Thu, Mei- Ling Ellerman, and Tamara Jacka. Special thanks to Ann Hill for ongoing intellectual and emotional support. In Canberra: Victoria and Edwin Gibbons, the Govender family, and members of Grace Canberra. At Qinghai Minyuan: thanks to the teachers in the waiban, especially Helena and Mr Bai. Ma Sheng Mei for excellence in Mandarin tuition, and ongoing assistance in many fieldwork matters. Student transcribers Amy Sun Xiao Fei, Xiao Shi, and Helen Po Ping Nian. Research assistants Sophie Ma Jin Ping, and Jonathan Ma Xiao Long. In Xining: All the fabulous people who allowed me to follow them around or interview them. Special thanks to those I cannot name but will always be grateful to. Also thanks to members of our house church and, later, of Xining International Fellowship. The Braun family for fun and friendship. Melinda, Mim, Greg, Xiao Ming, Claudia, the Chei family, and others for all kinds of assistance. The Lu family, the Ma family, and the Foggin family for inspiration. The White family, who were the best support crew ever. Rebecca Poh for feedback on Xining-related chapters. Thanks to OzNappyfree members for their participation. Pippa, Jennifer, and Lisa for hospitality. Special thanks to Marnie Holmes and the ec8ANZ group. Anna Spinaze for comments on early drafts. Mona-Lynn Courteau, for her editorial work. At Massey University: Regina Scheyvens for always finding me work and an office. Lorena Gibson, Sharon McLennan, Polly Stupples, and Tricia Farrelly iii for collegial support. In Palmerston North: Chris and Marie Dombroski and Megan Cooper for help with childcare, among many other things. At the University of Western Sydney: Chris Tobin, Nikki Lengeek, and Imogen Da Silva for administrative support. Pip Collins for transport and inspiration. Hermann Ruiz and Vicki Flack for Shut Up and Write sessions, and Peppertree Café Bankstown for hosting us. Sue Cochrane for reading a chapter on TCM. The old CCPP folk for feedback on an early version of a methodology chapter. Jo Chang and Martine Fu for research and translation assistance. At Macquarie University: Katharine McKinnon, Sandie Suchet-Pearson, Richie Howitt, Bob Fagan, Michelle Carnegie, Rebecca Bilous, Husnia Underabi, Valeria Pashkova, and others for essential support in completing a thesis with a full-time job. The Community Economies Collective, for truly embracing the spirit of collectivity and encouragement all the way. Particular thanks to Jenny Cameron for helping me be a better writer, and to Julie Graham who repeatedly showed me how to perform a beginner’s mind’: I hope this work can be yet another testament to the influence of your life on others. Bankstown Baptist Church for distracting me regularly enough. Jasmine Zhang for translating the title and abstract. Qiqi Huang, Katie Paul, and David Liu for hospitality en route. Tang Xiaoou, for first instructing me in things Chinese. Fabulous supervisors: Katherine Gibson for constant and unrelenting optimism, encouragement, and inspiration. Gerda Roelvink for inspiration, incredible feedback and constant commitment to understanding my half- baked ideas. My parents Nick and Jan Hoskins for putting up with what was meant to be only a three-year separation. My grandmother Marilyn O’Brien for starting my own toilet-training. My children: Imogen for tenaciously refusing to let me get away with standard fieldwork practices. Analiese for tenaciously refusing to let me get away with workaholism in writing up. My husband: Travis, for being super-dad, for countless meals, for listening, for sharing the frustration and joys of every interview, article, chapter, university rule — across three countries, four cities, five universities, six years, seven gallstones, eight homes, and of course the birth of two children. Finally, to the One who gives me hope for a new earth, who taught me that before knowledge comes humility, before humility, surrender, and who is infused throughout this thesis in the most unlikely places. iv STATEMENT OF AUTHENTICATION The work presented in this thesis is, to the best of my knowledge and belief, original except as acknowledged in the text. I hereby declare that I have not submitted this material, either in full or in part, for a degree at this or any other institution. Signed by the candidate, Kelly Dombroski on the day of 2012. v BRIEF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................................................ 1 I THINKING MULTIPLICITY: UNDOING TELEOLOGIES OF MOTHERING MODERNITY .......................... 23 INTERLUDE: A WALK DOWN BAYI ROAD .................................................................................. 57 II SEEING DIVERSITY: VULNERABILITY, POSSIBILITY, AND EMBODIED ETHNOGRAPHY .......................... 65 INTERLUDE: THE PHYSICS AND POETICS OF MILK-FLOWING .................................................... 97 III UNHOMOGENISING MILK EMBODYING AND SITUATING GLOBAL CHANGES .................................... 103 INTERLUDE: IN THE COURTYARD OF VENERABLE GRANNIES ..................................................... 151 IV HOLDING OUT: INFANT BODIES AND SPACES OF HYGIENE IN XINING ............................................ 155 INTERLUDE: VIRTUAL HYGIENES ............................................................................................. 187 V TRAVELLING PRACTICES: HYBRID HYGIENES IN AUSTRALASIA ........................................................... 191 INTERLUDE: BABYWISE OR HYBRIDISE?................................................................................... 221 VI GUARDING LIFE: RETHINKING HYGIENE FOR A BETTER WORLD ..................................................... 230 CONCLUSION ....................................................................................................................................... 271 GLOSSARY ........................................................................................................................................... 289 REFERENCES ........................................................................................................................................ 297 APPENDICES .......................................................................................................................................... 313 vii TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................................................... III STATEMENT OF AUTHENTICATION .......................................................................................................... V BRIEF CONTENTS .................................................................................................................................. VII TABLE OF CONTENTS ........................................................................................................................... VIII ABBREVIATIONS USED............................................................................................................................ XI LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................................................... XIIIIII ABSTRACT ......................................................................................................................................... XVXV INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................................... 1 A New Earth Era ................................................................................................................................................ 1 Things Can Be Different ................................................................................................................................... 2 Hygiene Modernities in China ......................................................................................................................... 4 Hygiene Assemblages .......................................................................................................................................6 Situating Hygiene Practices ............................................................................................................................. 8 Hygiene Futures ............................................................................................................................................... 13 Research Questions and Approach ................................................................................................................ 15 Thesis Overview .............................................................................................................................................. 16 I THINKING MULTIPLICITY: UNDOING TELEOLOGIES OF MOTHERING MODERNITY .........................