AN ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS OF Mackenzie L. Searles for the degree of Master of Arts in Applied Anthropology presented on June 6, 2013 Title: Self-made Women of China: Experiences in Small-scale Entrepreneurship Abstract approved: __________________________________________________________________ Nancy R. Rosenberger The purpose of this study is to examine the lived experiences of women small-scale entrepreneurs in Qingdao, China by placing their collective experiences within relevant social and economic frameworks. This study, conducted in 2011 over a six-month period, applies an ethnographic approach based in modified grounded theory to bring together in- depth interviews and participant observation to answer three research questions: (1) What are the lived experiences of women small-scale entrepreneurs in Qingdao, China and how do they navigate new spaces in contemporary Chinese culture? (2) What factors motivate their entrepreneurship? (3) What barriers and opportunities do they encountered; do women see gender as a barrier? Findings reveal that women entrepreneurs develop small- scale businesses in order to innovate within new cultural spaces, craft preferred lifestyles, and ensure their own autonomy, while negotiating traditional and contemporary expectations surrounding family and marriage. Yet niching occurs in entrepreneurship, as it does in the workforce, and even with great opportunity within gendered niches, women have limited social and economic capital compared with men. ©Copyright by Mackenzie L. Searles June 6, 2013 All Rights Reserved Self-made Women of China: Experiences in Small-scale Entrepreneurship by Mackenzie L. Searles A THESIS submitted to Oregon State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Presented June 6, 2013 Commencement June 2013 Master of Arts thesis of Mackenzie L. Searles presented on June 6, 2013. APPROVED: ______________________________________________________________ Major Professor, representing Applied Anthropology ______________________________________________________________ Director of the School of Language, Culture, and Society ______________________________________________________________ Dean of the Graduate School I understand that my thesis will become part of the permanent collection of Oregon State University libraries. My signature below authorizes release of my thesis to any reader upon request. ________________________________________________________________ Mackenzie L. Searles, Author ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This thesis would not have been possible without the encouragement and guidance of so many amazing, supportive people. I wish to express my heartfelt appreciation to my advisor Dr. Nancy Rosenberger for her guidance and support. I am thankful for the opportunities and experiences I have had while working with Dr. Rosenberger. I also would like to thank my committee: Dr. Bryan Tilt, Dr. Hua-yu Li, and Dr. Janet Lee for your contributions and direction in this process. I am truly thankful to my parents, Douglas and Elizabeth Searles, for their unconditional love, support, and encouragement in life and learning. I also wish to acknowledge Grant McOmie, the love of my life, for his absolute support and encouragement throughout the process. I would also like to thank my friends and fellow graduate students for their support and companionship throughout my graduate school career. I offer my special thanks to Vicky Wang’s invaluable contributions as an interpreter and friend—I could not have done it without you. Last, I wish to thank the women business owners who took the time to share their experiences with me; your narratives are the foundation of this research. I sincerely thank you. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page CHAPTER ONE: Introduction ........................................................................................... 1 Study Purpose ..................................................................................................................... 2 Significance ........................................................................................................................ 3 CHAPTER TWO: Background and Literature Review ...................................................... 5 Modern Historical Shift: Valuing Women in Work ........................................................... 5 Small-scale Entrepreneurship ............................................................................................. 9 Factors that Influence Success in Small-scale Entrepreneurship .............................. 10 Changing Women’s Earning Power through Small-scale Entrepreneurship ............ 12 Industry Niches ......................................................................................................... 13 Flourishing Boutique-Style Businesses ............................................................................ 17 Importance of Personal Character in Entrepreneurship .................................................... 19 Gendered Personal Characteristics ........................................................................... 21 Motivations for Entrepreneurship ..................................................................................... 22 Theoretical Framework ..................................................................................................... 23 CHAPTER THREE: Methods .......................................................................................... 33 Site Description ................................................................................................................. 33 Commercial Area ...................................................................................................... 34 Residential Area ........................................................................................................ 36 Sampling Technique ......................................................................................................... 37 Recruitment and Participant Observation ......................................................................... 40 Rejections .......................................................................................................................... 40 Semi-Structured Interviews .............................................................................................. 41 Data Analysis .................................................................................................................... 42 Limitations ........................................................................................................................ 42 CHAPTER FOUR: Case Studies ...................................................................................... 44 Chen Xin: Entrepreneurship and Work in Marriage ......................................................... 44 Chen Jiahui: Working Divorcee ....................................................................................... 51 Wang Hua: Single City Woman ....................................................................................... 56 CHAPTER FIVE: Experiences in Small-scale Entrepreneurship .................................... 62 Socio-demographic Profile ............................................................................................... 62 Qualitative Results ............................................................................................................ 69 Navigating Gendered Spaces ............................................................................................ 70 Gendered Spaces in Contemporary China ................................................................ 72 Private, Family Space ............................................................................................... 75 Public, Social Space .................................................................................................. 78 Public, Business Space .............................................................................................. 82 Fluidity Among Spaces ............................................................................................. 87 TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued) Crafting an Individual Lifestyle ........................................................................................ 89 Valuing Work ............................................................................................................ 90 Seeking Better Opportunities .................................................................................... 91 Ensuring Individual Autonomy ................................................................................. 94 Balancing Work and Family in Marriage, or Not ..................................................... 95 CHAPTER SIX: Opportunities in Entrepreneurship ...................................................... 100 Recognizing Opportunity ................................................................................................ 100 Personal Characteristics .......................................................................................... 100 Actively Utilizing Networks ................................................................................... 102 Boutique-style Businesses ...................................................................................... 107 Choosing Entrepreneurship ............................................................................................. 109 Process of Starting an Enterprise ...........................................................................