Backlash as China students on ‘psychology of love’ university course are told to be sexy, please men by male teacher
- Students sign up to popular ‘easy credits’ course about how to love
- Teacher tells women to look younger, be attractive, cry after sex, bear children
A lecturer from a prestigious university in China has faced widespread condemnation for advising female students to wear makeup, express a desire to have children, and feign guilt after sex to be attractive to men.
Gong Li, a researcher from the School of Geographic Sciences at East China Normal University, has faced a backlash for his instructions during the course called “Psychology of Love”.
The public elective course, which is open to all undergraduates and is only 36 hours long but earns students an “easy” two credits, making it a popular option.
Photos shared by some students showed Gong instructing females to say out loud that they would love to have babies and telling them “from a genetic perspective, a woman’s greatest attraction to a man is her ability to bear children.”
He also stated that “makeup can increase attractiveness to men, but it must be correctly applied, the key is to appear younger.”
Additionally, Gong asserted that improving physical fitness makes a woman more appealing to a man because exercise can boost reproductive capabilities.
He even cited the example of Olympic champion Guo Jingjing, who is married to Hong Kong businessman and politician Kenneth Fok Kai-kong.
When it came to dating and having sex, Gong encouraged female students to project a conservative image to heighten their appeal.
This included suggestions like returning home early with excuses such as having to be in by 10 pm or her mother will constantly call. Also using jokes, for instance: “When I was a child, my mum told me kissing could lead to pregnancy.”
His advice when having sex was: “Begin with a mild refusal, then cooperate fully with the sexual activity. However, afterwards, express strong feelings of guilt, regret, and self-criticism for doing wrong, and, if possible, shed a few tears.”
This course is not new. A student who enrolled in 2022 told the Beijing News: “The teacher often taught views that objectify women and reinforce female stereotypes in class, emphasising women’s reproductive capabilities and teaching girls how to increase their sexual attractiveness and please men.”
Another student said the course has maintained its popularity, primarily because it is an easy way to obtain credits.
On March 13, the university announced that the class had been suspended that week and that future sessions would be conducted by teaching staff from the School of Psychology and Cognitive Science.
Feng Yuan, co-founder of Equality, a Beijing-based NGO focused on anti-domestic violence and gender equality, told the Post that such courses not only disregard women’s rights but also overlook the genuine need for true emotions and love in men, who are not fulfilled only by biological sexual desires.
“I’m not overly concerned that rational women will be brainwashed by these course materials. My greater concern lies with the male students in these classes, who have grown up without proper education on love and lack an understanding of their emotions and the ability to form emotional bonds with others,” said Feng.
Online reactions have overwhelmingly condemned Gong’s teaching.
“This is toxic. Why do such courses still exist, and why are teachers with such values still allowed to teach?” one person said.
“I thought the psychology discipline at East China Normal University was quite reputable. Why did they allow a geography teacher to conduct this course?” said another.
“Is suspending the course enough? He should be stopped from teaching altogether,” said a third.
“What he is teaching isn’t love psychology, it’s breeding psychology,” added another online observer.
