Should Communists care about being beautiful? In Maoist China, western ideas of beauty were derided as bourgeois. It was said to be far better to judge a woman’s worth by her intelligence, patriotism, and adherence to socialist values. Yet, as China opened up to the world, femininity flowed back into fashion and now Chinese women spend a fortune on their appearance. In this podcast, Dr Jieyu Liu, Deputy Director of the SOAS China Institute, considers whether contemporary ideas around beauty empower women, or trap them into consumerism. The host is Duncan Bartlett, Editor of Asian Affairs magazine. 

China In Context: Episode 5 
First broadcast 9th March, 2021 

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The views and opinions expressed on this podcast are those of the speakers and are not necessarily those of the SOAS China Institute.
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Music credit: Sappheiros / CC BY 3.0