Abstract
AbstractPopular media often reflect and guide major trends and discourses in a society. This article analyzes two popular Chinese TV shows. One is a TV drama series aired in 2020, and the other is a reality show broadcast in 2021. Both programs showcase the intersecting identities of Chinese urban middle‐class women and their challenges in balancing marriage and individual identity, work and life. While marriage is still a strong institution in China, especially in the eyes of the older generations and the Chinese state, the new generation of urban middle‐class women is increasingly unsatisfied with the constraints and gender inequality imposed by marriage. These women have made progress in some areas due to the privileges of their class, but they still struggle to balance the expectations of their different social roles.
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