Paper short abstract:

The study examines how Chinese heterosexual men present their masculinity on dating profiles in the United Kingdom (UK) to determine the extent to which their perceived desirable traits affirm or challenge Chinese hegemonic masculinity on dating apps.

Paper long abstract:

Dating apps enable individuals to exhibit themselves through photographs, showcasing the qualities individuals deem important in their own cultural environment. Men display reflexivity while selecting the traits they showcase on their dating profiles, which is known as "reflexive qualities" (Haywood, 2018). This term refers to how men construct an image of ideal masculinity by reflecting on and curating their dating profiles. The perceived ideal masculinity is associated with hegemonic masculinity (Connell and Messerschmidt, 2005), which represents a gender-based hierarchy that promotes specific forms of masculinity as more socially desirable than others. In the British dating context, Chinese hegemonic masculinity, which emphasises cultural achievement and martial arts (Louie, 2003), is marginalised due to the dominance of Western hegemonic masculinity values. This impacts how Chinese heterosexual males embody their idealised masculinity on dating app profiles.

By conducting interviews with 25 Chinese heterosexual men aged 18 to 30 and examining their profile images using content analysis, I found that, firstly, they often have profile photos that showcase outdoor activities and selfies with friends on local dating apps, reflecting the fact that they post profile photos in a localised context. Secondly, they upload precisely edited photographs with filters to enhance the attractiveness of their dating profiles. My research argues that Chinese heterosexual men create a form of hybrid masculinity by displaying perceived desirable characteristics in Chinese and Western hegemonic masculinity across various dating apps.