Problematization and de-problematization – 30 years of cultural studies and cultural criticism in mainland China

ABSTRACT

In the past 30 years, cultural studies in mainland China has developed its own history, theoretical characteristics and problem framework with the introduction of Western theory, discussion of Chinese issues and active dialogue with international cultural studies scholars. The studies of sociology, philosophy and politics have overlapped with cultural studies in problems such as rural governance, class research, the bottom society research, gender politics and consumer society theory. Chinese cultural studies started with a critical consciousness, then activated the drives of anti-authoritarianism and generated an illusion of emergency. Today, it has outgrown the paradigm of the 1950s, and must establish new theories and thoughts on the basis of a new sense of criticism at this moment.

KEYWORDS:

• Cultural studies in mainland China
• cultural criticism
• resistance
• urgency
• activism

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes on contributor

Zhiqiang Zhou is a Professor of Cultural Studies and Literature in the School of Literature at Nankai University, China. His research examines Chinese contemporary culture criticism, popular culture, movies and literature. His most recent book is The Ways of Interpreting China: The Cultural Spectacles in an Era of Media in Transition (2013).

Notes

1. As the short history of the aim of cultural studies in China, the current historical accounts of it can be roughly divided into three categories: first, summaries of the Chinese cultural studies of certain periods. The important works include Wang Hui’s Cultural Studies and Cultural Criticism in Mainland China in the 1990s (1995), Dai Jinhua’s monograph Invisible Writing – Research on Chinese Culture in the 1990s (1999), In the Mirror – Interviews with Dai Jinhua (1999), Wang Xiaoming’s A New Ideology – The Cultural and Literary Analysis of the 1990s (2001) and Wang Yuechuan’s ‘Methods and Contexts of Cultural Studies in the 1990s’ (1999). Wang Yuechuan’s Mirror Image of China (2014) focuses on the 1990s to discuss the significance of Chinese cultural studies, intellectual ideology, and cultural trends and so on. Other works provide an overview of Chinese cultural studies. Wang Ning’s History and Current Situation of Cultural Studies traces the development and achievements of cultural studies since its introduction to China. In Tao Dongfeng’s Monographs Cultural Studies: China and the West (2001), Contemporary Chinese Cultural Criticism (2006), contemporary literary thought is adopted as the starting point to map out an intellectual history of China. But in the strict sense, these are rather the studies on contemporary art and literature from the perspective of cultural studies than a history of Chinese cultural studies. His Cultural Studies in China – a Very Personal Thinking (2008) makes use of his personal academic growth to illustrate the development and popularization of cultural studies in Chinese academia. Zhou Xian’s Cultural Studies: Why and How? (2007) discusses the issues of knowledge politics, knowledge localization and theoretical production in contemporary Chinese cultural studies, and maps out the future of cultural studies and the crises they face. In addition, some important papers, such as Yang Junlei’s ‘Cultural Studies in Contemporary China’ (2002), Chen Guangxing’s ‘Cultural Studies: Indigenous Resources and Problem Consciousness’ (2007), Yan Guidi’s ‘Theoretical Paradigm Shift and Chinese Experience in Cultural Studies’ (2016) and ‘Cultural studies: China’s experience and intervention’ (2016) all give a general review of cultural studies in China and the interactions between Chinese experience and Western theories. The third category is the compilations. Cultural Studies: Theory and Practice (2004) compiled by Jin Yuanpu files the important works since the 1990s and provides historical data and ideological maps for the following study. In addition, since the beginning of 2010, the Capital Normal University has started to publish an annual report of cultural studies with Tao Dongfeng as the editor in chief. The main columns include Annual Paper, Cultural Research Workshop, Annual Cultural Phenomenon Scanning and Important Essays and Cultural Studies Memorabilia. This annual report is one of the leading publications of cultural studies in mainland China.

2. Shanghai University, Capital Normal University both have the department of cultural studies; Peking University, Fudan University, Nanjing University, Nankai University, Sichuan University all give the master’s and doctoral programmes in cultural studies. On 6–7 December 2014, with the topic of ‘Teaching Methodology of Cultural Studies’, ‘Re Feng Xue Shu’ Forum was jointly organized by School of Literature of Nankai University, ‘Re Feng Xue Shu’ editorial office and Chinese contemporary cultural research centre of Shanghai University. On 24–25 June 2016, Beijing Language and Culture University and Beijing Normal University jointly organized the 6th BLCU International Cultural Research Forum with the theme on ‘a new living state: education, observation and cultural studies’. Native scholars such as Tao Dongfeng, Zhou Xian, Wang Xiaoming, Zhang Hongbing, Xu Delin, Luo Xiaoming, Liu Xinting have discussed disciplinary of Chinese cultural studies.

3. Because of the blurry of discipline boundaries, cultural studies has become an ornament for any subject. So, as early as the early1990s, when Chinese scholars just got to know cultural studies they began to question its disciplinary complexity. Scholars like Li Oufan, Wang Hui, Zhou Xiaoyi, Wang Ning have realized the possible overlapping and tangling of cultural studies and literary studies.

4. In this period of time, there was a ‘debate on humanism’ in Chinese mainland. From today’s angle, this debate is an alert, caution or recognition of the identity transfer of Chinese intellects.

5. In 1962, Deng Xiaoping in his speech, ‘How to Restore Agricultural Production’, mentioned the best form of production relationship. The attitude he suggested is that the form which could promote rapid restoration and development is the best choice; people’s preference is the best form. The illegitimate can be made legitimate. ‘Yellow cats, black cats, a good cat should be good at catching rats’.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by The National Social Science Fund of China [grant number 13BZW006].