Seeking Western Men: Email-Order Brides under China's Global Rise

The global industry of commercial dating agencies that facilitate marriages across national borders is a $2.5 billion industry. Monica Liu's study of China's email-order bride industry reveals that Chinese women are primarily middle-aged, divorced, and proactively seeking spouses to fulfill their material and sexual needs. These women seek Western partners who can provide them with a better life. The book explores how this reshapes Chinese women's perception of Western masculinity and the shifting relationships of race, class, gender, sex, and intimacy across borders.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 258 pages
Publication date: 22 November 2022
Publisher: Stanford University Press

The global industry of commercial dating agencies that facilitate marriages across national borders is worth an estimated $2.5 billion. Stereotypes abound in this industry, suggesting that younger, more physically attractive brides from non-Western countries are often paired with older Western men. However, Monica Liu's research in Seeking Western Men debunks these myths by exploring the reality of China's email-order bride industry. Her study reveals that Chinese women seeking spouses through this route are primarily middle-aged, divorced, and actively seeking partners to fulfill their material and sexual needs. These women come from diverse backgrounds, ranging from multimillionaire entrepreneurs or ex-wives and mistresses of wealthy Chinese businessmen to contingent sector workers and struggling single mothers. Alongside their translators and potential husbands from the US, Canada, and Australia, these women form the diverse cast of characters in this intricate story. Set against the backdrop of China's global economic ascendance and a relative decline of the West, this book raises important questions about how this reshapes Chinese women's perceptions of Western masculinity. Through the unique lens of global internet dating, Liu sheds light on the shifting dynamics of race, class, gender, sex, and intimacy across borders. This book offers a valuable insight into the complex world of cross-cultural relationships and the evolving social norms surrounding marriage and companionship.

Weight: 398g
Dimension: 152 x 229 x 20 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781503633735