To lead and to mother: Contradictory constructions of new femininities in an elite girls' school in Hong Kong

Dorothy Wing-Huen LEE, Kit Wa Anita CHAN

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapters

Abstract

In the past two decades, young women's educational performance in Hong Kong has gradually improved; yet this has sparked concern over boys' "under-achievement." Despite prevalent concern, however, few academic studies have seriously considered this complex phenomenon. Inspired by feminist discussions on this topic, this chapter explores the contradictory construction of successful female leaders in an elite girls' school in Hong Kong. The discussion aims to show that the discourse and expectations of "successful girls" are similar to those in Anglophone countries and that they are intimately linked to Hong Kong's neoliberal educational reforms, middle-class oriented, and fraught with contradictions. Copyright © 2018 selection and editorial matter, Kerry J. Kennedy and John Chi-Kin Lee; individual chapters, the contributors.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationRoutledge international handbook of schools and schooling in Asia
EditorsKerry J. KENNEDY, John Chi-Kin LEE
Place of PublicationNew York
PublisherRoutledge
Pages794-802
ISBN (Electronic)9781315694382
ISBN (Print)9781138908499
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2018

Citation

Lee, D. W.-H., & Chan, A. K.-W. (2018). To lead and to mother: Contradictory constructions of new femininities in an elite girls' school in Hong Kong. In K. J. Kennedy & J. C.-K. Lee (Eds.), Routledge international handbook of schools and schooling in Asia (pp. 794-802). New York: Routledge.

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