Scientific tool or torture device? A relational dialectics theory approach to the Speculum’s symbolism in China

This study applies Relational Dialectics Theory (RDT 2.0) to examine the dominant and marginal discourses surrounding the speculum on Weibo in China and how these discourses compete to make meaning of the speculum object. Through contrapuntal analysis, we explore how two discourses—the centripetal discourse, “Speculum is Scientific and Beneficial” (SSB), and the centrifugal discourse, “Speculum is Regressive and Detrimental” (SRD)—interact and compete across three contractive practices, two types of synchronic interplay, and two forms of dialogic transformation. Our research broadens the application of RDT to non-Western stigmatized health contexts. Additionally, the current research deepens our understanding of the unique characteristics of digital platforms and their role in facilitating discourse competition, while illuminating broader social tensions around health, gender, and power in the context of women’s health in China, highlighting the complexities and constraints of public discourse on these issues.