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Political participation, integral to democratic development, has gained unmatched significance as a metric for evaluating the strides made toward modern democracy, especially in transitional nations like China. With each passing era, the dynamic interplay between modernization and political evolution becomes even more pronounced. Modern China, straddling the line between age-old traditions and contemporary transformations, offers a multifaceted canvas for such studies. Against this backdrop, the role of and challenges faced by the distinct demographic of Chinese women in their political pursuits command attention. In this context, the study aims to discern the factors driving the institutionalized political participation of Chinese women. Unraveling the answer has implications for strengthening democratic processes and ensuring an inclusive representation of all segments of society. Researchers have shown a burgeoning interest in political participation in this context, with notable contributions from scholars like Cheng and Han (2023). Broadly, political participation can be bifurcated into institutional and non-institutional categories. The former predominantly includes traditional offline activities, such as voting and demonstrations, while the latter has witnessed an expansion due to the advent of online channels facilitated by cutting-edge media technologies (Alryalat, 2015; Kapoor et al., 2018; Rana et al., 2013; Rana et al., 2011; Sharma et al., 2018; Simintiras, 2015; Singh et al., 2019). Such technological strides have diversified participation mediums and bridged traditional and modern civic engagement methods (Shah et al., 2005; Zhang & Ge, 2023). As society navigates this evolution, it becomes essential to understand how various sectors of society, especially Chinese women, adapt and engage with these mechanisms.
A comprehensive examination of the existing literature reveals that many scholars have predominantly explored political participation through the lens of different groups, such as urban residents, university students, and women (Cheng & Han, 2023). Such a search reveals an emerging need to focus on a particular demographic: Chinese women. Women’s participation in institutional politics has far-reaching implications for policy formulation, representation, and advancement of democratic processes.
To effectively address this agenda, the first task is to conduct an in-depth exploration of the factors that stimulate the participation of the female demographic in institutionalized political activities. The extensive literature on this topic has considered the factors influencing political engagement. In the early stages, scholars primarily focused on social capital and the provision of public goods, delving into the macroscopic dimensions of how diverse societal attributes impact overall civic political participation. However, from an individual perspective, engagement in political behavior is influenced not only by external stimuli but also by intrinsic motivation. Consequently, the roles played by psychological factors, such as life satisfaction and political efficacy, should not be overlooked (Su et al., 2022).
Nevertheless, beyond focusing on the psychological aspects of political engagement, a thorough examination of social circles and modes of institutionalized political participation is necessary. The female demographic shows a pronounced homogeneity in terms of public goods and societal attributes. Within this context, beyond intrinsic psychological drivers, research must consider the social environment women inhabit. In this regard, factors such as social well-being, perceptions of fairness, and trust hold significant importance. These factors are the emotional foundation for female participation in political activities. These emotional facets are closely intertwined with the characteristics of social circles and avenues for institutionalized political participation, jointly shaping the attitudes and behaviors of the female demographic toward political engagement.