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Bittersweet China: new discourses of hardship and social organisation

Bittersüßes China: neue Diskurse über Härten und soziale Organisation
[journal article]

Griffiths, Michael B.
Zeuthen, Jesper

Abstract

"This paper argues that new interpretations of 'eating bitterness' (chiku) have firmly entered the landscape of China's social organisation. Whereas the bitterness eaten by heroic types in China's revolutionary past was directed towards serving others, now the aim of eating bitterness is self-awaren... view more

"This paper argues that new interpretations of 'eating bitterness' (chiku) have firmly entered the landscape of China's social organisation. Whereas the bitterness eaten by heroic types in China's revolutionary past was directed towards serving others, now the aim of eating bitterness is self-awareness. Furthermore, bitterness-eating, which once pertained to rural-urban migrant workers as opposed to discourses of urban 'quality' (suzhi), has now also been taken up by the urban middle classes. A new cultural distinction, therefore, adds dignity to migrant workers while potentially marginalising a wide range of unproductive people, both urban and rural. This distinction ultimately mitigates risk to the Chinese regime because the regime makes sure to reward those who eat bitterness. This paper is based on ethnographic data gathered in Anshan, from the rural areas surrounding Chengdu, and our analysis of a TV show about a peasant boy who becomes a Special Forces soldier." (author's abstract)... view less

Keywords
China; middle class; social status; distinction; cultural factors; social norm; television; discourse; Far East

Classification
Macrosociology, Analysis of Whole Societies
Cultural Sociology, Sociology of Art, Sociology of Literature

Document language
German

Publication Year
2014

Page/Pages
p. 143-174

Journal
Journal of Current Chinese Affairs, 43 (2014) 4

ISSN
1868-1026

Status
Published Version; peer reviewed

Licence
Creative Commons - Attribution-NoDerivs


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© 2007 - 2025 Social Science Open Access Repository (SSOAR).
Based on DSpace, Copyright (c) 2002-2022, DuraSpace. All rights reserved.