Contemporary Chinese Discourse and Social Practice in China

Editors

Linda Tsung | The University of Sydney

Wei Wang | The University of Sydney

Hardbound – Available

ISBN 9789027201843 | EUR 99.00 | USD 149.00

e-Book –

ISBN 9789027268112 | EUR 99.00 | USD 149.00

Significant socio-political changes in China have had great impact on Chinese discourse. Changes to the discourse have become an increasing focus of scholarship. This book examines contemporary Chinese discourse and social practice in China with a focus on the role that language plays in the on-going transformation of Chinese society. With a view to producing new insights into the interdependence between discourse and social practice, this volume explores how discourse has been changing in a context-dependent way; how social practice can lead to shifts in the use of discourse; and how identities and attitudes are constructed through language use. Largely based on empirical studies, this book indicates that Chinese discourse has not only been an integral part of social change, but also Chinese discourse itself is changing, reflecting ideologies, values, attitudes, identities and social practice. The book is a great resource for scholars in diverse disciplinary studies including linguistics, communication, education, media and political studies concerning contemporary China.

[Studies in Chinese Language and Discourse, 4] 2015. xvi, 223 pp.

Publishing status: Available

https://doi.org/10.1075/scld.4

Table of Contents

List of contributors | pp. vii–x

Acknowledgements | pp. xi–xii

Foreword

Andy Kirkpatrick | pp. xiii–xvi

Contemporary Chinese Discourse from Sociolinguistic Perspectives

Wei Wang and Linda Tsung | pp. 1–8

Discourse and Ideology

Language and Power in China

Kerry Brown | pp. 11–26

Discourse and the Development of Public Sphere in China: A Law Case Study

Hailong Tian | pp. 27–44

Towards a Cultural Methodology of Human Communication Research: A Chinese example

Shi-xu | pp. 45–58

Nation-State Building in a Rising China: PRC Discourses on the Chinese Language since the Turn of the 21st Century

Minglang Zhou | pp. 59–80

Language Ideology and Semiotic Negotiation in Mongolian Use

Naran Bilik | pp. 81–100

Identity and Attitude

Changing Attitude for Bilingual Education in Liangshan, China

Linda Tsung and Lubei Zhang | pp. 103–124

Co-construction of migrant workers’ identities on a TV talk show in China

Wei Wang | pp. 125–142

Identity Construction in Weibo Communication: Chinese overseas students’ experiences in Australia

Chong Han | pp. 143–162

Linguistic choices in the Chinese workplace: A language ecology perspective

Zuocheng Zhang and Yanyun Guo | pp. 163–184

Ge Wang | pp. 185–200

The discourse of unity in diversity in Contemporary China

Bai Yang and Linda Tsung | pp. 201–220

Index | pp. 221–223

“Since YR Chao’s early forays into Chinese sociolinguistics and discourse analysis in the middle of the last century, research in these areas has come a long way. Today, one can find scholars working with Chinese data within almost every possible kind of discourse and conversation analysis. Linda Tsung and Wei Wang have done our field an invaluable service by bringing together eleven papers dealing with a broad and interesting range of topics in contemporary discourse analysis, and organizing them under the suggestive headings of ‘ideology’ and ‘identity’. Researchers and students of Chinese discourse will find this an indispensable reference and a most enjoyable read!”

K.K. Luke, Nanyang Technological University

“Tsung and Wang’s book is an important contribution to the study of Chinese discourse, especially in relation to the role it plays in the transformation of Chinese society. The book is exceedingly interesting and a timely collection of papers on the topic.”

Brian Paltridge, University of Sydney

“With its empirical focus and stress on the role of communication in social transformation this important new book discusses the large themes of ideology and identity in Chinese discourse.This is a vital discussion for anyone interested in China, but given the central role that China plays in our shared global future the volume assumes a much wider interest and relevance. We all have a stake in understanding more about the internal conversations of the Chinese and in participating in these in a more informed and collaborative way.”

Joseph Lo Bianco, University of Melbourne

“The significance of the book is multifaceted. The studies draw on a diversity of theories such as social linguistic theories, discourse theories of Foucault and Van Dijk, theories of critical discourse analysis, theories of political science, systemic functional linguistics, Habermas’ theory of public sphere, Peirce’s theory of semiotics, narrative theory and theory of language ecology. [...] The book is an inspiring resource for theorists and practitioners of discourse studies in general and Chinese discourse studies in particular. It is also a good resource for scholars and students of China and oriental studies, and offers an interesting reference for policy-makers and the public.”

Liangtao Lai, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, in Discourse Studies, Vol. 19.1, 2017

Cited by

Cited by 3 other publications

Brown, Kerry

2022. Knowing and Feeling the “China Dream”: Logic and Rhetoric in the Political Language of Xi’s China. Journal of Current Chinese Affairs 51:3 ► pp. 437 ff.

Brown, Kerry

2024. Knowing and Feeling the ‘China Dream’: Logic and Rhetoric in the Political Language of Xi’s China. In The Chinese Communist Party: A 100-Year Trajectory, ► pp. 181 ff.

Wang, Wei

2020. Chapter 1. Researching the Chinese language and discourse. In Analysing Chinese Language and Discourse across Layers and Genres [Studies in Chinese Language and Discourse, 13], ► pp. 2 ff.

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