Public Sphere and the State in Modern Shanghai

Author: Masako Ohama
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-12-01
Features: The Shanghai History Studies Translation Series selects classic works by top overseas scholars on modern Shanghai history, offering both readability and academic rigor, translated by domestic experts. Overseas scholars provide unique perspectives, exclusive materials, and original insights, offering a fresh interpretation of Shanghai's history. The content covers a wide range of figures, including the Shanghai governor, police, prostitutes, industrialists, expatriates, hometown associations, fire brigades, and people from northern Jiangsu. Focusing on "associations" as the central theme and Shanghai's urban society as the stage, the book examines the structure of modern Chinese regional society, its characteristics of publicness, and the relationship between the state and society. It argues that from the late imperial period onward, "associations" have been deeply rooted in Chinese society, serving as the foundation for mutual connections in people's lives. In modern Shanghai, "associations" not only played a role in the daily lives and work of urban residents but also became the basis for the development of national movements. They also fulfilled public functions in urban society, supporting the urban development of modern Shanghai. The publicness of modern Shanghai was nurtured and developed through the activities of "associations." The author, with thorough research and abundant materials, explores how these groups transformed from tradition to modernity and how they functioned within the relationship between the state and society, elucidating the characteristics of publicness and the public sphere in Shanghai society. The book is convincing and credible to read.