Report by Yaxuan Wang, class of 2027 & Photo by Ruixiang Hu, Class of 2027

On Friday, November 8, 2024, DKU faculty, staff, and students gathered for our last reading group session in this semester. This time, the focus was on John Wei’s Stretched Kinship: Parental Rejection and Acceptance of Queer Youth in Chinese Families(2023), an insightful exploration of the challenges faced by queer youth and their families in China.

The session began with an overview of the reading’s key themes, led by Dr. Zhenjie Weng and Dr. Yanan Zhao. Participants discussed the concept of “stretched kinship” as Wei defines it, particularly how parental expectations and societal pressures complicate family relationships for queer youth in China. The discussion highlighted the emotional and social challenges both parents and queer youth experience, especially under the pressure of filial duties and cultural norms.

The main highlight of the event was a talk by Guest Speaker Professor Andrew Wortham, Visiting Assistant Professor of Cultural Anthropology, who shared his experiences conducting research on LGBTQ+ groups in China, with a focus on gender and sexuality. Prof. Wortham also reflected on his time in Chengdu, providing personal insights into the complexities of queer identity and kinship within Chinese society. His experiences resonated with many attendees and brought additional depth to the themes of Wei’s work.

Following Prof. Wortham’s talk, participants were encouraged to ask questions. The Q&A segment saw a high level of engagement, with questions addressing various aspects of LGBTQ+ life in China, the influence of cultural expectations, and the academic challenges of studying sensitive topics in this field.

The event concluded with an open discussion, allowing participants to share their reflections and consider ways to foster greater inclusivity and understanding within their own communities.

The reading group session was organized by DKU’s Humanities Research Center and facilitated by Dr. Zhenjie Weng and Dr. Yanan Zhao, with the support of student worker Yaxuan Wang.

By Nathan Franco, Class of 2028

On October 22, 2024, the HRC’s Gender Studies Lab held a stimulating panel discussion on gender and community building. The panelists included Professors Yeshim Iqbal, a social and community psychologist who primarily studies people’s responses to violence, and Andrew Wortham, a cultural anthropologist who primarily studies sexuality, gender, and LGBTQ+ groups. About 32 students and six faculty members were in attendance.

To start our discussion on gender and community building, we decided to address the differences between activism and community building. Professor Andrew Wortham stated that activism has a history and connotation primarily in the West concerning the policy of the state and religion, making it controversial to question longstanding beliefs under the term activism. Professor Yeshim Iqbal furthered this by identifying the primary connotation of the word “activism:” is actively trying to change something. Therefore, activism can be controversial and politically sensitive.

Community building can be generalized as a group with the same goal and qualities: “standing up” and supporting one another in the face of adversity. Such communities can exist by being in the same space with others, creating what our panelists note as mobilization: the bringing of people with the same goal/ideal together. 

After our insightful talk on the difference between community building and the controversial term activism, the panelists discussed what a community is exactly and how it works.

While community building can be considered a form of activism, it doesn’t always need to be goal-oriented but rather value-oriented. Value, in this sense, can mean speaking about common experience among other activities where a bond is formed. However, when building a community, a boundary is present and we are working within the parameters of that boundary, hence affirming the boundary. People within this community aren’t actively trying to change any norms.

The panelists noted that community building can take different forms, especially considering the context of the people in the community and the country in which the community is formed. However, sometimes, creating a community will happen on its own in a passive sense. But other communities take lots of work. Whether that is clearing your home to make a space or even finding time in your day to get together, for example, workers may want to get together but have other responsibilities, making it difficult to find a place and time that align with other workers. While in the sensitive area where Professor Iqbal studied, 14 women struggled to find close, safe areas big enough to host all the women. Whereas men could go anywhere and would always be relatively safe due to their status of being a man. Hence, societal norms and the standing of the genders also impact the formation and sustainability of a community.

Among the many insightful questions posed by the audience, one audience member asked:

“When there is a community do you outline what the community is and what is expected of those in said community?”

In any community that wants to sustain itself, there is a lot of work needed to keep the community together through its norms, which include knowing the correct words and expectations of being in that community. So, if the goal is to keep the community going, then yes, the establishment of norms and expectations is necessary.

The Professors ended by stating that if funding by NGOs and other organizations were to cease that some of these communities would also cease, however, many may just take a new form.

Report by Yaxuan Wang, class of 2027 & Photo by Ruixiang Hu, class of 2027

On Friday, October 11, 2024, around 10 DKU faculty, staff, and students gathered for our second reading group session on “Embracing Diversity: Developing Cultural Competence for Inclusive Education.” We were delighted to welcome both returning participants and first-year students for this engaging and thought-provoking discussion.

 

This session began with the “Word of the Day” activity focused on intersectionality. Zhenjie Weng and Yanan Zhao led participants in exploring how various aspects of identity—such as gender, ethnicity, and social class—intersect and contribute to unique experiences of privilege or discrimination. Participants reflected on their own identities through a personal exercise, highlighting how intersecting components can shape individual experiences.

 

The session’s main reading was Xia (2024), which examined intersectionality and discrimination among LGBTQ+ Asian international students in the U.S. education system. This study highlighted the additional layers of discrimination that LGBTQ+ students from East Asia face due to cultural conflicts, including internalized homophobia, while attempting to adjust to a new educational environment. Participants engaged in an insightful discussion about the cultural norms in East Asia that influence the experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals, as well as how these norms intersect with racial and gender identities to complicate the experiences of students studying abroad.

 

The session concluded with a group activity where participants worked on creating scenarios that reflected the intersectionality challenges faced by LGBTQ+ international students. This hands-on approach helped foster a deeper understanding of the topic, encouraging participants to consider how educators can create more inclusive and supportive environments.

 

The event was organized by Zhenjie Weng, Assistant Professor of English Language Education, and Yanan Zhao, Senior Lecturer of English for Academic Purposes, from the Language and Culture Center, and was sponsored by the Humanities Research Center. Student worker Yaxuan Wang also contributed to the success of the event. Our next reading group session will be held on November 8, 2024.