Routledge Handbook of Chinese Citizenship

This book challenges assumptions of Chinese citizenship that the concept is alien to Chinese culture and that is authoritarian to a degree that citizenship play a limited role. In contrast China has its unique and rich experience of the emergence development rights obligations acts culture education and sites of citizenship. <p>Two assumptions prevail in the study of Chinese citizenship: one holds that citizenship is unique to the Western political culture, and China has historically lacked the necessary conditions for its development; the other implies that China is an authoritarian regime that has always been subject to autocratic power, in which citizens and citizenship play a limited role. </p><p>This volume negates both assumptions. On the one hand, it shows that China has its own unique and rich experiences of the emergence, development, rights, obligations, acts, culture, education, and sites of citizenship, indicating the need to widen the scope of citizenship studies to include non-Western societies. On the other hand, it aims to show that citizenship has been a core issue running through China's political development since the modern period, urging scholars to bring ‘citizenship’ into consideration in the study of Chinese politics. </p><p>This <em>Handbook</em> sets a new agenda for citizenship studies and Chinese politics. Its clear, accessible style makes it essential reading for students and scholars interested in citizenship and China studies.</p>