This book explores Chinese young men’s views of manhood and develops a new concept of ‘elastic masculinity’ which can be stretched and forged differently in response to personal relationships and local realities.

Drawing from empirical research, the author uses the term shenti (body-self) as a central concept to investigate the Chinese male body and explores intimacy and kinship within masculinity. She showcases how Chinese masculinities reflect the resilience of Confucian notions as well as transnational ideas of modern manhood.

This is a unique dialogue with ‘western’ discourse on masculinity, and an invaluable resource for understanding the profound social changes that transformed gendered arrangements in urban China.