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Alternative Publications, Spaces and Publics: Revisiting the Public Sphere in 20th- and 21st-century China

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 June 2021

Sebastian Veg*
Affiliation:
Ecole des hautes études en sciences sociales (EHESS) Paris, France.
Edmund W. Cheng
Affiliation:
Department of Public Policy, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China. Email: [email protected].
*
Email: [email protected] (corresponding author).

Abstract

Reviewing the extant literature on China's public sphere from the perspective of 20th-century history and social science, this introductory essay argues for the continued relevance of studying the publications and public practices associated with knowledge communities. By steering away from normative definitions and by envisaging publicness as a process, a connection can be explored between social discourses and political practices in China. Discursive communities, based on shared identity or sociability, may appear marginal, but at key moments they can play a unique role in modifying the dynamics of political events.

摘要

摘要

采纳20世纪历史和社会科学的视角,这篇导论回顾了中国公共领域的文献,指出研究出版物和知识群体的公共层面,具有恒久意义。通过摒弃规范性定义,并设想公共性为一个过程,我们探索了中国的社会话语与政治实践之间的联系。基于共同身份或社会交往的话语群体,尽管显得微不足道,但在关键时刻,他们却可以发挥独特作用,改变政治事件的动态。

Type
Special section: “Revisiting the Public Sphere in 20th- and 21st-century China”
Copyright
Copyright © SOAS University of London, 2021

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