Affect, sociality, and the construction of paternalistic citizenship among family caregivers in China

In recent years, the Chinese state has made family members care for and manage persons diagnosed with serious mental illnesses. Many of these caregivers are also former socialist workers to whom broken its promise paternalism. This article examines affective experience, sociality, citizenship claims caregivers. My fieldwork shows that, despite agents’ attempts depoliticize their feelings, construct narratives suffering together, which allow them make sense systemic marginalization state’s hypocrisy. They engage in complicit but righteous searches welfare, healthcare, leisure resources while publicly demanding recognition support themselves loved ones. I examine promises perils this “paternalistic citizenship” as exemplified by caregivers, consider transformations it needs open new political horizons.