Han Zixuan

Han Zixuan is a doctoral student in anthropology at IFRAE (INALCO) under the supervision of Catherine Capdeville-Zeng and Sophie Goedefroit. After a master's degree devoted to the study of the gendered division of labour and the tourism industry in Na society in south-west China, he is now focusing on the anthropology of parenthood and homosexuality in urban China. Focusing on the notion of ‘coming out’ (chugui) in China, her thesis explores family dynamics and strategies for reconciling social expectations linked to procreation and homosexuality, considering homosexual people as agents acting at the intersection of different values. Han looks at the changing norms of kinship in a rapidly modernising Chinese society, with a particular focus on the role of mothers and the various strategies employed.

The project

Title: Chugui (coming out) in China : Experiences and consequences for homosexuals in the context of the family and parenthood