Civilising Citizens in Post-Mao China

<p>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 <i>suzhi</i> – 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 <i>suzhi</i> investigating the underlying cultural philosophical and psychological foundations that propel the <i>suzhi</i> discourse. Using a new method to analyse Chinese governance – one that is both historical and discursive in approach – the book demonstrates how <i>suzhi</i> 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 <i>suzhi</i> and similar discourses in post-Mao China including those centring on notions of ‘civilisation’ ‘harmonious society’ and the 'China dream'.</p><p>As the first book to provide an in-depth study of <i>suzhi</i> and its relevance in Chinese society <i>Civilising Citizens in Post-Mao China</i> will be useful for students and scholars of Chinese studies Chinese politics and sociology.</p>