| This dissertation theorizes how youth in China, a nation that is now the greatest emitter of greenhouse gases associated with climate change, make sense of climate change in their daily lives. Chapter one outlines the theories that this dissertation is in conversation with; theories of citizenship, identity, media and social movements. In chapter two I argue that it is important to recognize the existence of networks of domestic and international state and non-state environmental actors and offer a historical explanation for their emergence. Chapters three, four and five test the three hypotheses developed in chapter one that: a) Chinese youth learn about climate change; b) figure out one's responsibility for solving the problem; c) take action as they deem appropriate. Chapter three outlines how Chinese youth learn about climate change in multiple ways through mediated, social and physical experience. Chapter four looks at the question of responsibility, or sharing one's burden as a citizen. This chapter illustrates that Chinese youth are trying to figure out responsibility for climate change at a time when the Chinese state is increasingly relinquishing responsibility for social welfare. Chapter five uses a litmus test of actions, based on existing scholarly work and actions commonly promoted by environmental protection organizations, to reveal the degree to which Chinese youth take actions that might go towards mitigating climate change. This chapter also looks at why action is taken and demonstrates that Chinese youth take part in actions often without personally making any linkages between climate change and a sense of responsibility. This chapter demonstrates that it is important to better understand the relationship between climate change and realizing the modern life in China. The final chapter, the conclusion, suggests that by looking at the daily lives of Chinese youth that this dissertation not only contributes to work looking at questions of climate change but also efforts to understand contemporary life in China. The dissertation is based on a self-administered Chinese language survey, bi-lingual interviews, participate observations, and primary sources from the academic, government, NGO and private sectors. |
