This thesis analyzes the role of the middle class in China in the process of democratization. Based on the literature, two groups can be distinguished: those who state that the middle class will...Show moreThis thesis analyzes the role of the middle class in China in the process of democratization. Based on the literature, two groups can be distinguished: those who state that the middle class will inevitably support democratic processes and those who state that the middle class can be an important actor in the support for military regimes. In addition, there is a debate between those who state that China is too unique to comply with the theory (exceptionalism), while others state that the theory is universal. In this thesis, a framework is created to determine whether middle classes will support democratization, or not. The case of China is then tested on this framework. The economic dependency on the current regime, the strength of this regime, and the fact that the Chinese middle class is not a unified, homogeneous actor, make sure that the CCP remains firmly in power, without real indications that the middle class will support democratization in the near future.Show less
The Social Credit System is an automated mechanism that, collecting citizens’ personal information, aims at restoring trustworthiness in Chinese society. At the same time, this system might serve...Show moreThe Social Credit System is an automated mechanism that, collecting citizens’ personal information, aims at restoring trustworthiness in Chinese society. At the same time, this system might serve the purpose of restoring CCP’s moral legitimacy. To shed a light on this second objective, I explore and explain how morality came to be relevant in sustaining political authority in imperial China and why it is still important in Chinese contemporary political discourse. After having depicted the symptoms of China’s moral decay, I analyze the scope and objectives of the SCS. Specifically, I show how the logic behind a peculiar form of Chinese social relation, namely guānxi came to influence the SCS. Moreover, I depict the SCS as an educative tool to mold a new kind of society hinging on the concept of sincerity. Nevertheless, I caution about the potential risks and inefficacies of this didactic automated mechanism.Show less
This thesis explores how Chinese newspapers report on Singles Day, a holiday celebrated on November 11. The thesis covers the origins of Singles Day and how it has evolved from an Anti-Valentine’s...Show moreThis thesis explores how Chinese newspapers report on Singles Day, a holiday celebrated on November 11. The thesis covers the origins of Singles Day and how it has evolved from an Anti-Valentine’s Day to a Global Shopping Festival. This development, amongst others, is represented by the term “Double 11”, which has become Alibaba’s precious trademark to promote this holiday. Furthermore, a chapter illustrates how top-down and bottom-up forces constitute China’s media landscape, and also explains what methodologies have been used for the study. The main body consists of an analysis and discussion of six newspaper articles in Chinese. By analyzing articles by the People’s Daily, the official mouthpiece of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and the Beijing News, a mainstream newspaper, the thesis compares and contrasts what discourses emerge in two newspapers in Beijing and how these newspapers differ in style and content. A qualitative discourse analysis has resulted in the main finding that the People’s Daily mainly provides positive, informative reports on how the holiday is progressing, while the Beijing News creates vivid and sensational narratives that constructively criticize the success story of Singles Day.Show less
Hollywood has been the leading film industry in the cinematic universe for the past several decades. China on the other hand, has been one of the fastest rising economies during these same decades....Show moreHollywood has been the leading film industry in the cinematic universe for the past several decades. China on the other hand, has been one of the fastest rising economies during these same decades. China is one of the biggest markets for Hollywood to gain more exposure and income. However, the Chinese government has been known to influence society through the use of censorship. To research how Hollywood film studios cater towards the strict censorship laws of the CCP various (scholarly) sources media are studied. It is important to study the relationship between Hollywood and China because Chinese censorship influences what we see in all kind of films around the world.Show less
This thesis examines the narrative of the Chinese Communist Party as portrayed in revolutionary sites, also known as red tourism sites. Through a comparative policy analysis of the Red Tourism...Show moreThis thesis examines the narrative of the Chinese Communist Party as portrayed in revolutionary sites, also known as red tourism sites. Through a comparative policy analysis of the Red Tourism Initiative and case study of the Yan'an Revolutionary Memorial Hall, this thesis provides some insight on recent attempts of the Chinese government to evoke nationalism in museum space. More specifically, the Yan'an Revolutionary Hall propagates a positive image of the party's revolutionary past by using modern values such as entrepreneurship, allowing visitors to easily identify with a largely imagined past. As a consequence, museum space provides the Chinese government with legitimization in a society that has become increasingly alienated with communist values, ideals, and ideology.Show less
Where it seems that the ideological narrative a political party or entity takes forms the base for the support it gets, since 1978 and onwards the CCP has shown it is possible to change this...Show moreWhere it seems that the ideological narrative a political party or entity takes forms the base for the support it gets, since 1978 and onwards the CCP has shown it is possible to change this ideological narrative without losing legitimacy as a ruling power. This thesis covers the changing ideology of the CCP from 1949 up till now, and offers an explanation on how the Party has been able to legitimize its shift from being a socialist state up till the end of the 1970's, to currently being one of the most capitalist countries in in the world.Show less
