Happiness and its discontents : the pursuit of xingfu among young adults with intellectual disabilities in Shenzhen

Abstract

This study explores the pursuit of both “blessed” xingfu and shadowed xingfu among young adults with intellectual disabilities in the contemporary urban context of Shenzhen, China. Drawing on disability and happiness theories against the backdrop of digital China and the COVID-19 pandemic, it investigates their strategies to attain xingfu and examines the new scripts of Chinese xingfu, family relations, complex identity formation, and the mastery of digital tools. Using an ethnographic research methodology, data was collected from 2020 to 2021. Finally, 16 individuals with intellectual disabilities were recruited in semi-structured interviews, ethnographic observations, and photovoice method in this research. The study uncovers the process by which individuals construct meaning around xingfu in contemporary China. They master a technique to identify and pursue a "blessed xingfu” that aligns with parental and societal expectations whilst pursuing shadowed xingfu at the same time. The concept of "blessed xingfu" represents a normative model of success and serves as a mechanism for social control, reinforcing existing power dynamics and hierarchical structures. The research also sheds light on the evolving nature of family structures in contemporary China. The emphasis on relationships based on support and shared experiences rather than solely on blood ties signifies a shift in how family is conceptualised and practiced. Additionally, the five types of fictive kinship (sister mothers, like brother and sisters, Gan Ma and child, inter-familial union and one big family) within the reading club expands the notion of family beyond traditional boundaries, providing alternative sources of support and belonging. The study highlights the tensions between individual achievement and the expectations for blessed xingfu, which gives rise to gender inequalities and ambivalence in their "kidult" identity. Simultaneously, their intersection of para-citizenship and privilege (Shen’erdai) incurs a multifaceted identity, placing them in a state of ambivalence and adding complexity to their collective duties’ fulfilment and pursuit of xingfu. Furthermore, some individuals pursue a "shadowed xingfu” by indulging in instant pleasures, embracing idle moments, and escaping in imagination. These pursuits may not align with conventional notions of success or purposeful meanings but provide tangible and personal experiences. The study also highlights how these individuals employ digital platforms as tools to pursue both blessed and shadowed xingfu. They engage in activities such as, doing and displaying family online, creating autonomy and independence through digital means, participating in weishang, transitioning from invisibility to visibility on social media, and developing online romantic relationships. Despite the limitations they face, they came together to form a reading club and create alternative forms of affective ties. This collective effort results in the development of a new model of Chinese xingfu, which contributes to and complements both Western and Chinese studies on happiness, family, and disability. Through their re-writing of the Chinese xingfu narrative, these individuals challenge the rigid and idealised notion of happiness that demands constant positivity and progress. By navigating and overcoming societal barriers, they deconstruct the idealized concept of xingfu, creating space for embracing diverse and personalised paths to success, social worth, and agentic citizenship.