The Fox Spirit, the Stone Maiden, and Other Transgender Histories from Late Imperial China 《清代社会性别规范》

This book employs an interdisciplinary research approach, combining perspectives from history, law, and literature. Using Qing Dynasty local government legal archives and court memorials as core materials, supplemented by Ming and Qing Dynasty tales of the strange and supernatural, and late Qing Dynasty news media reports, it focuses on marginalized transgender groups within the framework of Confucian gender ethics in late imperial China. The research transcends traditional elite narratives, encompassing groups such as barren women, male actors playing female roles, eunuchs, cross-dressers, monks, and foxes in literature—groups that crossed the boundaries of "gender distinction." These groups deviated from their assigned gender roles at birth in various ways and for multiple reasons. By comparing official ideology, literati values, and folk customs, the book analyzes these groups' gender practices within various social and legal contexts, presenting the tacit approval they received or the severe punishments they suffered. This reveals the historical landscape of diverse gender practices under the "gender distinction" framework, influenced by Confucian ethics, Qing Dynasty legal system, and social culture. It reflects the flexible logic of gender norm construction in late imperial China and the interactive relationship between gender norms and power structures.