Who are the new Chinese intellectuals? In the wake of the crackdown on the 1989 democracy movement and the rapid marketization of the 1990s, a novel type of grassroots intellectual emerged. Instead of harking back to the traditional role of the literati or pronouncing on democracy and modernity like 1980s public intellectuals, they derive legitimacy from their work with the vulnerable and the marginalized, often proclaiming their independence with a heavy dose of anti-elitist rhetoric. They are proudly minjian—unofficial, unaffiliated, and among the people.
In this book, Sebastian Veg explores the rise of minjian intellectuals and how they have profoundly transformed China’s public culture. An intellectual history of contemporary China, Minjian documents how, amid deep structural shifts, grassroots thinker-activists began to work outside academia or policy institutions in an embryonic public sphere. Veg explores the work of amateur historians who question official accounts, independent documentarians who let ordinary people speak for themselves, and grassroots lawyers and NGO workers who spread practical knowledge. Their interventions are specific rather than universal, with a focus on concrete problems among disenfranchised populations such as victims of Maoism, migrant workers and others without residence permits, and petitioners. Drawing on careful analysis of public texts by grassroots intellectuals and the networks and publics among which they circulate, Minjian is a groundbreaking transdisciplinary exploration of crucial trends developing under the surface of contemporary Chinese society.
"A tour de force and an excellent contribution to an important field." - The PRC History Review
"Veg thoughtfully situates these “grassroots intellectuals” in a social history of Chinese thinkers." - Foreign Affairs
"The first fully rounded description of the creation of this new class of thinkers, artists, and filmmakers." - New York Review of Books
"The book is a timely addition to the growing body of scholarship on intellectuals and intellectual discourse in contemporary China." - Modern Chinese Literature and Culture
"[Veg] does nothing less than challenge the reader to reconsider who are and how we understand 'intellectuals' in China." - China Quarterly
"Absolutely indispensable to any student of Chinese politics, society, or contemporary history, a must-read for scholars and students alike." - China Review
"[This book] is researched in detail, argued convincingly, and demonstrates a great deal of sympathy for the intellectuals it studies." - China Journal
"Deeply researched and consistently thought-provoking." - Common Knowledge
Формат: Скан PDf
In this book, Sebastian Veg explores the rise of minjian intellectuals and how they have profoundly transformed China’s public culture. An intellectual history of contemporary China, Minjian documents how, amid deep structural shifts, grassroots thinker-activists began to work outside academia or policy institutions in an embryonic public sphere. Veg explores the work of amateur historians who question official accounts, independent documentarians who let ordinary people speak for themselves, and grassroots lawyers and NGO workers who spread practical knowledge. Their interventions are specific rather than universal, with a focus on concrete problems among disenfranchised populations such as victims of Maoism, migrant workers and others without residence permits, and petitioners. Drawing on careful analysis of public texts by grassroots intellectuals and the networks and publics among which they circulate, Minjian is a groundbreaking transdisciplinary exploration of crucial trends developing under the surface of contemporary Chinese society.
"A tour de force and an excellent contribution to an important field." - The PRC History Review
"Veg thoughtfully situates these “grassroots intellectuals” in a social history of Chinese thinkers." - Foreign Affairs
"The first fully rounded description of the creation of this new class of thinkers, artists, and filmmakers." - New York Review of Books
"The book is a timely addition to the growing body of scholarship on intellectuals and intellectual discourse in contemporary China." - Modern Chinese Literature and Culture
"[Veg] does nothing less than challenge the reader to reconsider who are and how we understand 'intellectuals' in China." - China Quarterly
"Absolutely indispensable to any student of Chinese politics, society, or contemporary history, a must-read for scholars and students alike." - China Review
"[This book] is researched in detail, argued convincingly, and demonstrates a great deal of sympathy for the intellectuals it studies." - China Journal
"Deeply researched and consistently thought-provoking." - Common Knowledge
Формат: Скан PDf
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