'Masculinity' proposal prompts debate

Ministry suggests that more exercise will make young males less 'feminized'. Yang Wanli reports.

The recent news of a proposal from the Ministry of Education to boost "masculinity" among boys by raising the number of gym classes brought back a painful memory of early adolescence for Lyu Yang.

The 36-year-old computer engineer in Shanghai once experienced excruciating agony during a game while attending senior high school in Kunming, Yunnan province.

It was called "Game X", in which the boys chose an "X man" randomly from the class, lifting him up with his arms and legs extended like the letter X.

The boys threatened to ram the victim's crotch into a hard object－usually a pillar in the building or railings at the corner of the stairs. Lyu was the boy most often chosen as the "X man".

"Maybe it was because I was short and thin and always got high scores in exams. The game was probably the only opportunity the other boys had to beat me, physically at least," he said.

In most cases, Lyu said the game was played under rational controls.

"After all, it was not a serious attack. The other boys were usually satisfied with the victim's fear and the sense of conquest," he said with a helpless smile.

One day, an accident occurred: several boys lifted Lyu up and pushed his crotch into the corner of a desk, resulting in a bruised and swollen testicle. Lyu stayed home for a week and recovered fully.

"After that, I was reluctant to take part in any team sports. I felt bad around other males, especially when a large crowd gathered," he said. "The recent proposal from the ministry reminded me of the reason I got hurt: I was not as 'manly' as boys are supposed to be."

Dated language

So what exactly is a man supposed to be in China?

A 2014 study of gender stereotypes in China by William Jankowiak, a professor of anthropology at the University of Nevada in the United States, discovered that some of the words most frequently used to describe men and women had not changed in the 30-plus years since 1980.

According to the study, men were expected to be strong, aggressive, rude and serious, while women should characteristically be gentle, quiet and bashful.

However, the growing appeal of "pretty boy" and "handsome girl" superstars in China in recent years seems to have challenged people's traditional impressions of the country's men and women.

During last year's two sessions－the country's most important annual political event－Si Zefu, a national political adviser, expressed concerns about the "feminization" trend among teenage boys.

Si, a member of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, said many teenage Chinese boys are weak, timid and often have low self-esteem.

"If not checked, the feminization trend among teenagers will harm China's development," he said, and suggested schools should play a greater role in ensuring young males receive a "balanced education".

Responding to Si's suggestion, the Ministry of Education recently released a proposal to prevent the feminization of male adolescents.

Under the proposal, local education departments will be required to raise the number of gym teachers and tweak physical education classes to "cultivate masculinity" among younger male students.

Schools will also be required to assess the intensity of the exercise in PE classes and "vigorously develop" contact sports such as soccer.