Self-Development Ethics and Politics in China Today

Introduction

This volume takes readers on a journey into a central aspect of life in China, so-called self-development. Whether prompted by the cultural values of educational success, capitalist competition for wealth, or the Chinese Communist Party's prescriptions for good citizenship, few people in China are immune to the impetus to improve themselves and thus bring about a better future.

Contributors and Themes

Contributors to this volume, interdisciplinary sinologists, draw on materials from practices in education, labor, and self-help as they spotlight keywords by which individuals make sense of their self-development journeys - including new forms of resistance to social norms.

Mapping Self-Development

Rather than simply classify self-development by different activities or groups, the chapters map together ethical features that cut across Chinese society. Contributors explore the nuanced and ambivalent attitudes towards self-development of individuals navigating various requirements and pursuing more complete forms of existence.

Global and Local Perspectives

In so doing, they offer a snapshot of China that intersects with timely global concerns.