NEGOTIATING WITH THE HETERONORMATIVE MARRIAGE INSTITUTION IN MAINLAND CHINA: HOW HOMOSEXUALS EMPLOY DISCOURSE IN NEGOTIATION NING XUAN Department of Applied Social Sciences, City University of Hong Kong E-mail: [email protected] Abstract- Living in a heteronormative society, homosexuals in China face many challenges. Among the challenges, marriage poses itself a top concern for the majority of homosexuals, in that the sociocultural factors cultivate it into an almost mandatory obligation. This paper reports a qualitative study of male and female homosexuals’ negotiation with their parents in contemporary Mainland China. The study explores how discourse functions as a strategy by gays and lesbians when negotiating heteronormative marriage with their parents. In the current study, 10 homosexuals in Mainland China participated in interviews, including five gays and five lesbians. Integrating both negotiation and discourse theory, this study was based on analysis of discourse. Major activities these homosexuals adopted included assertion of a homosexual life, construction of a flexible, and struggling with the process by being stuck in the current situation. Two major discourses these homosexuals employed as strategies to negotiate with their parents were a discourse of normality of homosexuality and a discourse of rewriting filial piety. Keywords- Homosexuality, Marriage, Negotiation, Critical Discourse Analysis I. INTRODUCTION they negotiate the marriage issue with their parents. Qualitative data obtained from in-depth interviews Living in a heteronormative society, homosexuals in with 10 homosexuals, including five gays and five China have to struggle with many issues. Among lesbians were utilized for analysis. these issues, marriage poses itself a top concern for the majority of homosexuals, in that the heterosexual II. LITERATURE REVIEW marriage institution is evoked as a central way to construct and maintain the hegemonic status of Although marriage is not a mandatory duty to carry on heteronormativity (Lynch & Maree, 2013). It is in any culture, it is closely associated with people’s estimated that there are more than 21 million gays and well-being. Research in this aspect has indicated that 12 million lesbians in China, and more than 90% of marriage or intimate relationship exerts an impact on these Chinese homosexuals finally get married or individuals, especially on their well-being, which to determine to marry. Such marriage is the biggest some extent justifies the importance of studying on difference between homosexuals in China and those in marriage. Western countries (Liu et al., 2015). Unlike Western Previous research has demonstrated that marriage is cultures that conceive marriage as a personal choice, positively associated with people’s physical and the sociocultural situation in China establishes psychological well-being (Soulsby & Bennett, 2015). marriage as an almost mandatory obligation for every Homosexuals who did get married generally report Chinese. Herein, the heteronormative marriage less psychological distress and more well-being (Clark becomes an issue that the majority of Chinese et al., 2015; Riggle, Rostosky, & Horne, 2010). Meyer homosexuals cannot avoid. In China, parents would (2003) proposed a minority stress process model in be the most representative and direct actors of the homosexual and bisexual people. He argues that institution of marriage with and for whom mental disorders usually prevail at a higher level homosexuals primarily negotiate and are responsible among homosexuals or bisexuals than that among on the issue of marriage. Conflicts ensuing from heterosexuals. This higher prevalence of mental arguments between homosexuals and their parents on disorder is because of what Meyer (2003) called this issue lead to estrangement between homosexuals minority stress. Consistent with Meyer’s theory, and their parents or even some homosexuals’ suicide, research has found that homosexuals frequently report which deteriorate both sides’ social well-being less social support for their intimate relationships severely. In this sense, how homosexuals negotiate the compared with their heterosexual siblings. Moreover, marriage issue with their parents becomes critical and internalized homophobia is an important factor that important for studying. Anchoring a discursive accounts for homosexuals’ relationship quality, perspective, the current research tries to integrate physical and psychological health, and satisfaction negotiation and discourse theory to analyze how with life. The higher degree of the internalized discourse functions as a strategy by homosexuals when homophobia, the more negative impact it will exert on Proceedings of 79th IASTEM International Conference, Tokyo, Japan, 6th-7th October 2017 21 Negotiating with the Heteronormative Marriage Institution in Mainland China: How Homosexuals Employ Discourse in Negotiation these aspects (Doyle & Molix, 2015). Literature lives. Distancing themselves away from their families documents various reasons that why homosexuals by living and working in another city would be a very form heteronormative marriages. Some homosexuals common choice that many homosexuals in China want to use heterosexual marriage as a cover and choose to use (Chou, 2001). shield for their true sexuality that is condemned, Current studies still have some limitations in need of stigmatized, and ostracized by the heteronormative addressing. First, a lack of study on gender difference discourses in their cultures. For some homosexuals, during the negotiation limits our understanding the they did not realize their homosexual identity even possible role that gender plays in this process; Second, they felt attracted to the same gender before their got power flows among family members have been mostly married (Duffey, 2006). Except for avoiding the social uncharted, so the understanding of important stigma, religious intolerance for homosexuality dynamics may not be possible; Third, a lack of usually motivates religious homosexuals who are the cross-cultural comparisons among homosexuals of disciples of that religion to form heterosexual different socio-cultural backgrounds limits our marriages and stay married (Yip, 2008). Different knowledge about the way that exterior factors shape from the most cited reason for homosexuals to form and influence individuals’ negotiations between their heterosexual marriage in Western countries, the most homosexuality and the marriage institution. cited reason for homosexuals in China to get married is showing filial piety to their parents (Li, 2009). III. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK By either argumentation or negotiation, homosexuals used different tactics to “manipulate” their way in by This study primarily builds on discourse theory exerting their influence on the target in order to incorporating critical ideas of soft and hard power change the target’s attitude, beliefs, or behaviors strategies in terms of negotiation theory. According to (Raven, 1992). Their tactics could be divided into Foucault (1978), social practices should count as a soft-power and hard-power based strategies. Raven discursive construction, and the discourse constructs (1992) has proposed 14 power bases, building on the event itself. The discourse determines, restricts, previous five and six power bases elaborated by the and allows what can be done and what cannot. research done by French and him (French & Raven, Discursive practices accepted by actors become 1959; Raven, 1965). These 14 power bases are normative structure that maintains both power classifiable into two types, namely hard and soft relationships and actors’ positions relative to one and power. The former type refers to power bases that are another. In this regard, discursive practices may lead coercive, intimidating, and direct, whereas the latter to various forms of repression and oppression, but they one counts as non-coercive, considerate, and subtler count as normal by participants in this discourse (Raven, 1992). In the Western world, the most (Mangion, 2011). These accepted practices count as common method adopted by the majority of appropriate actions by actors who wield power. Truths homosexuals is to form marriages with heterosexual stand in each discourse via permitting these accepted partners. This is a non-traditional form of marriage practices by the powerful, and these truths closely named Mixed-Orientation Marriage (MOM) that connect to hegemony based on Foucault’s (1980) consists of one spouse identified as homosexual or understanding. bisexual whereas the other spouse is heterosexual With the purpose of analyzing events from a (Tornello & Patterson, 2012). Some homosexuals discursive angle, a model that explains how discourse would disclose their homosexual identity to their works as a strategic resource proposed by Hardy, partners before their marriage, whereas others would Palmer, and Phillips (2000) will be employed to conceal it (Schwartz, 2012). conduct the discourse analysis (figure 1). For Chinese homosexuals, many homosexuals would choose to conceal their homosexual identity and to get married with heterosexuals to show their filial piety to their parents, and reproduce the next generation. Another method that has been rarely addressed is a relatively new approach that has recently appeared in China, and it is called marriage of convenience. It is a kind of fake marriage practiced by a gay and lesbian pretending to be a couple mainly for the social, familial, and reproductive