Gender, beauty and the future of neoliberalism: aesthetic labour and women’s (anti)aspirationalism in Taiwan

Abstract

Prior research suggests that gendered norms of appearance are particularly demanding in East Asian societies, including Taiwan. However, it remains unclear how the factor of temporality is related to women’s beautification. Relying on 62 in-depth interviews with Taiwanese women, we explore women’s mobilization of feminine appearance as an important aspirational strategy to gain various advantages and some women’s resistance to those bodily norms in Taiwan’s neoliberal context. The findings reveal that, in both cases, women’s attitude toward the future is determinant. The apprehension of appearance in the future could be illustrated by women’s concern for aging well, their meticulous preparation for maternity, and mothers’ investment in their daughters’ beauty practices. Paradoxically neoliberalism’s future-oriented temporality could result in a resistant attitude toward female beauty, since endless bodily work might lead to a withdrawal from the constant investment in female appearance.