Meaning in absence: The case of tampon use among Chinese women

Abstract

ABSTRACTWhile the tampon is a popular female hygiene product that is used in most western countries, within the Chinese market, around 98 percent of women use sanitary napkins and only 1.9 percent use tampons. The culture is changing rapidly in China today, but tampons have not been accepted by many women. What do Chinese women think about using tampons? How do culture and objects interact with each other in terms of rejection and receptivity? This paper tries to answer these questions by discussing the relationship between culture and objects, Chinese sexual culture, and the perceptions of women regarding tampons. It is possible to gain extensive cultural knowledge about Chinese society and values by exploring what the absence of this object means, which in turn provides a glimpse into the socio-cultural fabric of a society and the operational values of the community.