Utopia and Modernity in China Contradictions in Transition

• Other Authors: Margolies, David (Editor), Cao, Qing (Editor)
• Format: Electronic Book Chapter
• Language: English
• Published: Pluto Press 2022
• Subjects: Cultural studies; International relations; Political economy; Industrialisation & industrial history; East Asia, Far East; Economic systems & structures; 20th century history: c 1900 to c 2000; c 1945 to c 2000 (Post-war period); China and the west, Chinese relations with the west, Chinese Communist Revolution, Chinese Communist Party, Political fiction, Political film, International law, Eco-aesthetics, Cultural change, Xi Jinping, Chinese modernity, Chinese press, chinese culture, Chinese film, chinese literature, chinese history, chinese modernisation, chinese capitalism
• Online Access: OAPEN Library: download the publication; OAPEN Library: description of the publication

The contradictions of modernisation run through the whole of modern Chinese history. The abundance of manufactured goods being sold in the west attests to China's industrial revolution, but this capitalist vision of 'utopia' sits uneasily with traditional Chinese values. It is also in conflict with the socialism that has been the bedrock of Chinese society since the foundation of the People's Republic in 1949. Utopia and Modernity in China examines the conflicts inherent in China's attempt to achieve a 'utopia' by advancing production and technology. Through the lenses of literature, arts, law, the press and the environment, the contributors interrogate the contradictions of modernisation in Chinese society and its fundamental challenges. By unpicking both China's vision of utopia and its realities and the increasing tension between traditional Chinese values and those of the west, this book offers a unique insight into the cultural forces that are part of reshaping today's China.