Civilising citizens in post-Mao China : understanding the rhetoric of suzhi
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Bibliographic Information
Civilising citizens in post-Mao China : understanding the rhetoric of suzhi
(RoutledgeCurzon contemporary China series)
Routledge, 2017
- : hbk
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Note
Includes index
Description and Table of Contents
Description
Political discourse in contemporary China is intimately linked to the patriotic reverie of restoring China as a great civilisation, a dream of reformers since the beginning of the twentieth century. The concept and use of suzhi - a term that denotes the idea of cultivating a 'quality' citizenship - is central to this programme of rejuvenation, and is enjoying a revival. This book therefore offers an accessible and comprehensive analysis of suzhi, investigating the underlying cultural, philosophical and psychological foundations that propel the suzhi discourse. Using a new method to analyse Chinese governance - one that is both historical and discursive in approach - the book demonstrates how suzhi has been made into a political resource by the Chinese Communist Party-State, journeying from Confucianism to socialism. Ultimately, it asks the question: if we cannot rely on Western models of governance to explain how China is governed, what method of analysis can we use? Making use of over 200 Chinese-language primary sources, the book highlights the link between suzhi and similar discourses in post-Mao China, including those centring on notions of 'civilisation', 'harmonious society' and the 'China dream'.
As the first book to provide an in-depth study of suzhi and its relevance in Chinese society, Civilising Citizens in Post-Mao China will be useful for students and scholars of Chinese studies, Chinese politics and sociology.
Table of Contents
Preface
A Note on Translation and Transliteration
List of Tables and Figures
1 Introduction
2 The Confucian Legacy of Suzhi
3 The Paradigm of Suzhi: Transformational Citizenship
4 Manufacturing Suzhi: from Mini to Mighty
5 The Wenming-Suzhi-Hexie-Zhongguo Meng Continuum: the Process of Pan-politicisation
6 Suzhi Jiaoyu: a Word that Succeeds and a Policy that Fails
7 Conclusion
Appendix: Research Design for Chapter 4
Index
by "Nielsen BookData"