Abstract:

 Traditional feminists believe that women’s self is the “otherness” without subjectivity. Modern feminists point out critically that women’s self has subjectivity although in essence it is the rational subjectivity reflective of their various survival “strategies”. Based on the field study of the women in Enshi TujiaLung Village， this paper proposes the idea of “emotional subjectivity constituting the female self”. Emotional subjectivity has two characteristics of inclusivity and exclusivity. Its meaning is also twofolded: Women make special contributions to the social solidarity and integration in the rural areas via their care for others’ lives and their help to the less fortunate for no or little profit； and women make contributions to the social changes in the rural areas via their noncalculated， spontaneous activities out of emotion that are not in accordance with the accustomed rituals or rules.  

Key words: emotional subjectivity, otherness, rational subjectivity, self, selfness