Postmodern ideology and postmodern China: Theory, practice, and implications in the People's Republic

Central to this work are three main arguments: (1) that postmodern conditions exist throughout China today; (2) that Jiang Zemin's 'Theory of the Three Represents' constitutes a postmodern ideology; and fundamentally, (3) that postmodern theory provides an excellent rubric for understanding China's ongoing changes. Secondarily, there are three supportive arguments: (1) that the difference between modernity and postmodernity is a matter of consciousness; (2) that Maoism was an example of modernity par excellence; and (3) that any state ideology depends upon a dialogic relationship between leaders and subjects. The purpose of this work is likewise threefold: (1) to provide a basis for speculative discussion on the fate of postmodern China; (2) to advance our knowledge of China today; and (3) to contribute to the literature that argues for the validity using postmodern theory in China studies.; Following three chapters that introduce and link the concepts of dialogism and postmodern theory with ideology in the People's Republic of China, the dissertation provides a close reading of the central texts of Jiang Zemin's 'Theory of the Three Represents,' which has been presented with remarkable candor as a deliberate tactic to perpetuate one-party rule in an era when one-party systems are failing worldwide. The close reading outlines the deconstructive and postmodern characteristics of the 'Three Represents,' along with its attempt to sustain an ontologically modernist regime amid postmodern conditions. To illustrate China's postmodern conditions and the extent to which the 'Three Represents' constitutes a postmodern ideology, three case studies are presented based on original ethnographic research in Shanxi, Shenzhen, and Hainan, and background research in Beijing.; The case studies demonstrate China's ongoing experiences with postmodernity vis-a-vis tremendous socio-economic changes that both cause and reflect, at their core, a fragmentation in how people and their state value and tolerate difference. As a result, we speculate that China may experience significant political changes in the near term.