Date of Award
2020
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelors
Department
Humanities
First Advisor
Li, Fang-yu
Area of Concentration
Chinese Language and Culture
Abstract
In this paper, shanzhai practices in China will be discussed, particularly as they pertained to more cultural products. Much research has been done on shanzhai consumer products and luxury goods, but the more nuanced realm of cultural production and reproduction has more room for exploration. This thesis focuses on three major areas of shanzhai cultural production: architecture, literature and publishing, and video productions. Over the course of years of research, the impetus behind the continued success of the shanzhai industry was searched for and has been discovered to have become a means of expression and personal agency in a developing economy. Ordinary people, by means of shanzhai products, can feel as if they are claiming a part of that success and freedom that the wealthy few of China are shown to be experiencing on television and the internet.
Recommended Citation
Sehr, Kearsten, "Making It Real: Shanzhai Culture in China" (2020). Theses & ETDs. 5996.
https://digitalcommons.ncf.edu/theses_etds/5996