Youth Cultures in China

What does it mean to be young in a country that is changing so fast? What does it mean to be young in a place ruled by one Party, during a time of intense globalization and exposure to different cultures? This fascinating and informative book explores the lives of Chinese youth and examines their experiences, the ways in which they are represented in the media, and their interactions with old and, especially, new media. The authors describe and analyze complex entanglements among family, school, workplace and the state, engaging with the multiplicity of Chinese youth cultures. Their case studies include, among others, the romantic fantasies articulated by pop idols in TV dramas in contrast with young students working hard for their entrance exams and dream careers. This book will be essential reading for students and scholars of youth culture, the sociology of youth and China studies more broadly. By showing how Chinese youth negotiate these regimes by carving out their own temporary spaces – from becoming a goldfarmer in a virtual economy to performing as a cosplayer – this book ultimately poses the question: Will the current system be able to accommodate this rapidly increasing diversity?

Map Chronology Acknowledgements Introduction: Youth in China No More Revolution Youth Scapes Changing Youth Values The Chapters Creative Warfare Chapter 1: Youth and Power: Education, Family, and the State Introduction Political Values and Party Membership Family and Familism Pedagogy and Education Conclusion Chapter 2: Dressing up the Future: Chinese Youth Today Introduction Global Inauthenticities Fashion Styles Sonic Styles Digital Styles Conclusion Chapter 3: Localization of Regional Culture Introduction Localizing TV format from without Regional TV Formats and Class Re-imagination Running Man: The Turn to Gamification Popular Music and Fandom The Chinese AKB48: irrelevance to politics TFBoys and Korean Imagination Conclusion Chapter 4 Chinese Heteronormativity and Its Discontents Introduction Chinese Genders? Heteronormative Aspirations I: Survey Findings Heteronormative Aspirations II: Media Representations Unsettling Heteronormativity I: Romance Comedy Unsettling Heteronormativity II: Queer China Unsettling Heteronormativity III: Sex and Feminism Conclusion Chapter 5: Mobility, Marginalization and Desire Introduction Migrant Youth, Representation and Desire Migrant Youth as Media Producers Migrant Youth and New Media Technologies Gaming and Immaterial Labour Goldfarming versus Farming From Village to Art Village: New Spaces and Mobility Conclusion Conclusion: Youth and Hope References