13 Sep, 2013   ·    Bhavna Singh

About the Book:

Despite its comparatively monolithic-constitutive base in terms of a Han majority, China incessantly struggles to establish its legitimacy, both domestically and internationally. Towards this endeavour, China is increasingly relying on manifestation of soft-power techniques by creating a cultural ambience of the peaceful rise of China to achieve its nationalistic goals; further reinforced by an endemic discourse of nationalism.

This work identifies a range of structural as well as personality factors which continue to shape the trajectory of domestic Chinese nationalism and its projection internationally. Beginning with the delineation of `nationalism as understood by China`s political leadership` such as Sun Yatsen and Mao Zedong, a detailed analysis of the Chinese public sphere in terms of its Internet, Literature, Cinema and Sports, especially the Beijing Olympics in 2008, has been made.

The book will be of enduring interest to both scholars and students of Chinese studies as well as practitioners and policymakers interested in China.

Contents:

Acknowledgements
Abbreviations

1.Introduction
Nations and Nationalisms
Contemporary Perspectives on Chinese Nationalism
Discursive Frameworks and Chinese Nationalism

2.The Nationalist Stalwarts
Discourse of the Century of Humiliation
Sun Yatsen: The First Modern Patriot
Chiang Kai-Shek: The Forgotten Nationalist
The May 4th Movement and its Implications on Nationalism
The Second Japanese Invasion of China
Mao Zedong and His Brand of Nationalism
Deng Xiaoping and His tete-a-tere with Nationalism
Nationalism in the Post-Deng Era: Deconstructing the White papers
The Party as an Institution Propagating Nationalism
PLA as an Agent of Nationalism
Social Processes and Nationalism
Nationalism and Identity Issues
Contemporary Chinese Nationalism:"The Manifestation of a Pragmatic and Eclectic Discourse"

3.Nationalism in the Cultural Sphere
Conceptualising the Realm of the "Public"
Chinese Public Sphere and Construction of the Nation
Tiananmen and the Inhibition of Public Space
State and the Public: Accommodation or Manipulation?
Nation and the Blogosphere
State and the Press
Falun Gong and its Version of Nationalism
Sovereignty and the Media Tussle: The Case of Tibet and Taiwan
Institutive Nationalism and the Literary Sphere
Nation in the Imagination of an Apolitical Generation

4.Cinematic Representations and the Chinese Nation
Evolution of Chinese Cinema
Independent Filmmakers and the National Cinema
Historical Representations of the Nation
The Avant-garde in the Chinese Cinema
Anti-Japanese nationalism in Chinese Cinema
Nation in Popular Constuction-"Da Guo Jue Qi"

5.Nationalism in China's Sports
Juxtaposing Sports and Nation: Historical Lineages and Construction of the Discourse
Chinese Sports in the Twentieth Century
Chinese Sports Beyond 80's
China- The Olympic Sojourn
The Beijing Olympics
The National Architecture
Constraints
Opening and Closing Ceremonies: The Art of Myth Creation and Beckoning History to Serve the Present
Nationalist Dimensions in Beijing Olympics
Nationalism as Evident in International Response
Contextualising Beijing Olympics in the Nationalist Discourse

6.Cementing the Discourse: The Future of China's Nationalism
Chinese Nationalism: Future Implications

ANNEXURES
I. Filmography
II. Media and Cultural Groups Founded by Falun Gong Actively Engaged in Contesting the Nationalist Perspectives of the State
III. China's Policy on Tibet
IV. Education Law of the People's Republic of China
V.Sports Law of the People`s Republic of China
VI. Computer Information Network and Internet Security, Protection and Management Regulations

Select References
Index

Bhavna Singh
New Delhi: Pentagon Press, India

Read More