Revealing Gender stereotypes and resistance in urban space use ——A case study of Panjiayuan Market, Beijing, China

Abstract

In Chinese traditional culture, it is common for social identity to be expressed through the consumption and use of cultural artifacts and antiques. However, previous studies have rarely mentioned the absence of female as subjects in this consumption practice, due to women were by default excluded from the public arena of society and confined to the private sphere of the family. Does the gender inequality still exist now? And if so, in what ways? This study investigated an antique Market Panjiayuan to explore gender differences in use of urban cultural space. Our results show that both the number and proportion of women decreased over the weekend. Female vendors are spatially closer to female buyers and more distant from male buyers. However, while men continue to be the dominant demographic in the market, the differences of gender temporal and spatial behaviours decrease with age. We argue that gender stereotypes may still subtly influence women's free and equal access to urban space, which likely deny them the same rights to activity and behaviour as men in specific space contained cultural traditions. This transition of gender differences allows designers and policy makers to create a more inclusive and equitable urban environment.