Unraveling the Fabric of Control: Tracing China’s Transformations through Evolving Vocabularies, Cultural Practices, and Social Imaginaries

This panel investigates the evolving vocabularies, concepts, and nomenclatures that have shaped China’s sociopolitical and cultural landscapes from the revolutionary era to the present day. By examining metaphors, ideological terms, and cultural labels, the panel interrogates how linguistic frameworks have both articulated and contested the dynamics of state control, collective identity, and individual agency.

Qiong Liu examines the metaphors of “turning over” (fanshen) and “lying flat” (tangping) as revolutionary and resistant postures that highlight shifts in China’s social imaginary. While “turning over” symbolized collective empowerment during Maoist-era class struggles, “lying flat” reflects contemporary passive resistance to hyper-competitive capitalism. Liu’s analysis situates these metaphors within the broader tensions between aspiration and disillusionment, solidarity and individual retreat, offering insights into the challenges facing China’s social fabric.

Ling Zhang investigates the transformation of amateur music-making as a site of cultural resistance and identity formation. From the socialist promotion of grassroots musical expression to post-socialist revivals of “red” songs by retirees, Zhang traces how amateur musicians challenged professional hierarchies and reclaimed public spaces. Highlighting examples from socialist documentaries and post-1980s guitar bands, the paper underscores the enduring significance of amateur musical culture as both a historical legacy and a contemporary act of defiance.

Yaowen Dong explores the evolving conceptualizations of the multitude in 20th-century China, comparing the traditional term Baixing with socialist-era notions of Renmin and Qunzhong. Dong argues that despite revolutionary ideals of mobilization, the masses were often framed as passive and apolitical, reflecting persistent paternalistic governance. This tension reveals the ideological continuities and contradictions underlying mass politics in China’s socialist movement.

Together, these papers reveal how revolutionary ideals, cultural practices, and political discourse have shaped and contested the interplay between the individual and the collective in China, offering a nuanced perspective on complex sociopolitical landscape.