Abstract:  This article examines the desk items of female white‐collar workers in China, using items as an entry point to explore how they are selected and arranged to construct and convey gendered meanings. The research reveals how gendered significance is materially constructed in micro‐spaces within the workplace, highlighting the complex mechanisms by which “the desk” becomes an arena for gender political struggle. Adopting gender performativity theory from a social constructivist perspective and employing qualitative methods that combine multimodal ethnography and in‐depth interviews, I posit that desk items function not only as a reflection of compliance or resistance to gender norms but also as a means of reproducing workplace gender orders through spatial practices. This study emphasizes that, despite formal systems professing gender neutrality, material culture subtly perpetuates gender inequality through implicit symbols, compelling women to shoulder additional costs in pursuit of professional legitimacy. Moreover, the embedded resistance present within desk items affords women a micro‐narrative space where they can counteract prevailing discourses, thereby facilitating professional breakthroughs. The research also highlights the intersection of traditional and modern disciplinary mechanisms, such as the blending of Confucian ethics with the legacy of socialist women’s liberation, and the reinforcement of gender stereotypes by algorithmic recommendation systems, all of which influence the gender order in the workplace. This article offers a novel perspective on understanding gender politics in Chinese workplaces, providing both theoretical support and practical insights to promote gender equality.

Keywords:  China; desk items; female white‐collar workers; gender performativity; gendered meanings; workplace gender order

Published:   10 September 2025

Issue:   Vol 13 (2025): Policies, Attitudes, Design: Promoting the Social Inclusion of Vulnerable Women in Greater China (In Progress)