Reconsidering Chinese Citizenship: Cultural Roots and Cultural Reach

This book reconsiders the concept of Chinese citizenship through the lens of cultural traditions and their deep historical roots. It challenges the state’s monolithic interpretation of culture, exploring how cultural practices influence citizenship in modern China.

The contributors to this volume examine how various actors, from government forces to grassroots activists, engage in culture-informed citizenship practices. They highlight the role of political ideology, spirituality, Confucianism, and minority religious traditions in shaping citizenship discourse. By broadening the understanding of Chinese citizenship beyond its Western-centric frameworks, this book delves into issues of socioeconomic injustice, cultural recognition, and the negotiation of civic rights. Readers are offered new perspectives on how China’s unique cultural heritage intertwines with its political structures, providing a nuanced understanding of citizenship in rapidly changing societies. This thought-provoking analysis will engage anyone interested in Chinese politics, culture, and the development of citizenship in a global context.

The chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue of Citizenship Studies.

Canglong Wang is Lecturer in Sociology at the University of Brighton, UK. His research extensively explores the cultural, social, and political implications of the revival of Confucian education in contemporary China. He has a persistent research interest in the topics of Confucianism and citizenship in China. His work has been featured in many leading journals and edited volumes. He is the author of The Rise of Confucian Citizens in China: Theoretical Reflections and Empirical Explorations (Routledge, 2023) and Cultivating the Confucian Individual: The Confucian Education Revival in China (2023).

Zhenzhou Zhao is Associate Professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at the Education University of Hong Kong. Her research interests include sociology of education, citizenship studies, cultural diversity, and gender studies. Dr. Zhao has published articles in scholarly journals including Citizenship Studies, Cambridge Journal of Education and Higher Education. She edited Citizenship Education in China: Preparing Citizens for the ‘Chinese Century’ (with Kerry J. Kennedy and Gregory Fairbrother, Routledge, 2014). She is Editor of Cogent Education and serves on the editorial review board of Gender and Education and Chinese Education and Society. Recently, she joined the international advisor board of British Journal of Religious Education.

Zhonghua Guo is Professor in the School of Government at Nanjing University, China. His research interests include Chinese citizenship, Chinese nation-state building and conceptual studies. Some of his studies on Chinese citizenship appeared in well-regarded journals such as Citizenship Studies, Journal of Chinese Political Science, and Journal of Chinese Governance. He edited or co-edited three special issues on Chinese citizenship in the above-mentioned three journals. He is also the sole editor of The Routledge Handbook of Chinese Citizenship (2021). Currently, he serves as Co-Editor-in-Chief of Social Transformations in Chinese Societies, Associate Editor of Citizenship Studies, and International Advisor for Social Policy and Society.