The Rise of "Doll-Mommies" and "Doll-Daddies" in China: Chinese Youth Meet BJD Culture

Abstract

This thesis focuses on the contemporary Chinese youth group, doll-mommies/ daddies, who are involved in Ball-Jointed Doll (BJD) culture. The thesis is based on a content analysis of popular social media, specifically BJD Bar and BJD Tsukkomi Bar on Baidu. I have also incorporated reflections of my own experience as a BJD player as a supplementary source of data. I contend that the BJD culture in contemporary China has become a virtual space for doll-mommies/daddies to explore and understand self-representation, social stratification, Chinese culture, and gender and sexuality. The thesis contributes to the sociology of toys and studies of youth culture with a focus on analysing the BJD culture in China. It also contributes new insights to China studies, providing a window to understanding Chinese youth culture and contemporary Chinese society, which has experienced profound changes due to the government's introduction of market economy, globalization, and information technology.