Street Culture: Chengdu's Public Spaces, Underclass, and Local Politics

Author: China Renmin University Press
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-01-01
Features: This is a history of the lower classes. In this book, we can both appreciate the richness of daily life and the allure of street culture under microhistory, as well as observe the grand narrative of political, economic, and social transformations in modern China. When the historical stage has always been dominated by the hegemony of elite discourse, this book examines the experiences of ordinary people from the bottom of society, from the perspective of nameless masses who left no mark in history, during reforms, revolutions, and social upheavals. It echoes their lament and heavy conclusion that they lost an old world but did not gain a new one. Through the author's meticulous analysis of the relationship between public spaces and daily life of the lower classes, it is evident that he deeply cares about their fate. The author peels away the layers of historical veils, allowing later generations to see how the lower classes gradually lost their living space and cultural traditions under the dazzling banners and melodious slogans, while also revealing how the people took up the "weapons of the weak" to fight for their destiny. With its academic significance, originality, in-depth research, refined methodology, strong arguments, and major contributions to urban history research, the book was awarded the biennial "Best Book Award by the American Society for Urban History" in 2005.