Sara Liao – författare

Feminist ideas spread quickly while feminism remains unpopular by designIn contemporary China, feminism circulates widely across digital media, popular culture, and consumer markets, yet it remains politically precarious. Viral Dissent examines this paradox through an incisive study of feminist activism, misogyny, and gender politics in China’s rapidly evolving digital landscape.Drawing on interviews, ethnographic observation, and analysis of high-profile online controversies, Sara Liao traces the complex life of feminism in a system shaped by platform capitalism, techno-nationalism, and individual users. Feminist discourse spreads through social media campaigns, influencer culture, and viral debates, but its visibility—and survival—is carefully managed. Through case studies of #MeToo activism, anti-victim-blaming campaigns, online misogyny, and digital feminist groups, Liao conceptualizes “unpopular feminism,” a feminism that operates as both a popular cultural genre and a stigmatized political project. Some forms of feminist expression are celebrated as part of the booming “sheconomy,” while others—particularly those calling for collective action or structural change—face marginalization, censorship, harassment, and nationalist backlash.Bridging media studies, gender studies, and transnational feminist theory, Viral Dissent offers a powerful account of how feminist struggle is reshaped at the intersection of capital, technology, state power, and everyday media use, illuminating the possibilities and limits of activism in an era of global platforms, commercialized visibility, and authoritarian governance.

Feminist ideas spread quickly while feminism remains unpopular by designIn contemporary China, feminism circulates widely across digital media, popular culture, and consumer markets, yet it remains politically precarious. Viral Dissent examines this paradox through an incisive study of feminist activism, misogyny, and gender politics in China’s rapidly evolving digital landscape.Drawing on interviews, ethnographic observation, and analysis of high-profile online controversies, Sara Liao traces the complex life of feminism in a system shaped by platform capitalism, techno-nationalism, and individual users. Feminist discourse spreads through social media campaigns, influencer culture, and viral debates, but its visibility—and survival—is carefully managed. Through case studies of #MeToo activism, anti-victim-blaming campaigns, online misogyny, and digital feminist groups, Liao conceptualizes “unpopular feminism,” a feminism that operates as both a popular cultural genre and a stigmatized political project. Some forms of feminist expression are celebrated as part of the booming “sheconomy,” while others—particularly those calling for collective action or structural change—face marginalization, censorship, harassment, and nationalist backlash.Bridging media studies, gender studies, and transnational feminist theory, Viral Dissent offers a powerful account of how feminist struggle is reshaped at the intersection of capital, technology, state power, and everyday media use, illuminating the possibilities and limits of activism in an era of global platforms, commercialized visibility, and authoritarian governance.

'Shanzhai' from Cantonese slang, refers to the production of fake goods in China, which enjoy an anti-authoritarian-like dissemination across the global market. Starting with mobile phones, now fashion brands are subverted in this way, with many women at the helm of design and production. Fashioning China looks at the women designers simultaneously subverting and reinforcing the nationalist-developmentalist, masculinist and technocratic dream of brands that are 'Made in China'.Broadening the digital labour debate beyond typical masculine and techno-utopic readings, Sara Liao studies the precarious practices of women trying to create sustainable and creative lives, vividly illustrating a fashion culture that exists online as a significant part of the digital economy.Drawing on material from interviews, participant observation, archives, policy documents, films and advertisements, Liao takes a multi-disciplinary approach to the topic, charting out the politics of intellectual property rights, globalisation, technocracy, patriarchy and nationalism in a non-Western context.

'Shanzhai' from Cantonese slang, refers to the production of fake goods in China, which enjoy an anti-authoritarian-like dissemination across the global market. Starting with mobile phones, now fashion brands are subverted in this way, with many women at the helm of design and production. Fashioning China looks at the women designers simultaneously subverting and reinforcing the nationalist-developmentalist, masculinist and technocratic dream of brands that are 'Made in China'.Broadening the digital labour debate beyond typical masculine and techno-utopic readings, Sara Liao studies the precarious practices of women trying to create sustainable and creative lives, vividly illustrating a fashion culture that exists online as a significant part of the digital economy.Drawing on material from interviews, participant observation, archives, policy documents, films and advertisements, Liao takes a multi-disciplinary approach to the topic, charting out the politics of intellectual property rights, globalisation, technocracy, patriarchy and nationalism in a non-Western context.