Uploaded November 2021 | Updated September 2026, 10 hours ago
China and the World series.
Episode 1 - Life in China.
What is the reality like for most working people in cities and the countryside? How has this changed since 1949 and particularly in the last 3 decades? How are people organised socially and how is this changing? What are the dominant attitudes on issues of gender, race and sexuality, as well as perceptions on globalisation and Chinese nationhood? What has been the impact of rapid economic growth socially and the rise of inequality?
-Dong Yige, University of Buffalo and currently working on book, The Fabric of Care: Women’s Work and the Politics of Livelihood in A Chinese Mill Town
-Eli Friedman, Cornell University and author of forthcoming book, The Urbanization of People: The Politics of Development, Labor Markets, and Schooling in the Chinese City
-Yutong Lin, Nomadic Department of the Interior research collective
Moderator: Kevin Lin, Critical China Scholars/Made in China Journal
tni.org/en/webinar/china-and-the-world-webinar-series
China today has the second largest global economy, ranks first in outward foreign direct investment, has become the world leader in AI and a driver of economic growth globally. Global capitalism today would not survive in its current form without China’s dynamism and pivotal role. As the country’s wealth and influence has grown, the Chinese state is looking to consolidate power at home, while also playing a more assertive role within Asia and globally. This has led its global geopolitical role to be constantly scrutinised by outside commentators, most often in relationship to US power.
Yet China, despite its size and power, remains a state, nation, country and people that is little understood and poorly portrayed – most of all by mainstream media and politicians outside China. This is often a projection of the fears, ideologies and political interests of those outsiders, rather than an honest examination of China’s unique history, politics and peoples and their own struggles for meaningful well paid work, good education, quality healthcare, a clean environment.
To confront some of the mythologies, and also to deepen understanding of the country, Transnational Institute together with gongchao.org, Made In China Journal, Lausan, Critical China Scholars and the Asia-Europe Peoples’ Forum is putting together a six webinar series on China. It is intended for activists anywhere in the world who want to have a basic understanding of China’s political and economic system, its global impact and role, and the best ways to engage with the Chinese state, its institutions and corporations, and its communities and grassroots groups. The six week series is intended as a first introductory edition, and would be concluded with a survey to decide on future webinar editions that could deepen learning, as well as possible spin-offs from the series including publications.
#china #lifeinchina
China and the World series.
Episode 1 - Life in China.
What is the reality like for most working people in cities and the countryside? How has this changed since 1949 and particularly in the last 3 decades? How are people organised socially and how is this changing? What are the dominant attitudes on issues of gender, race and sexuality, as well as perceptions on globalisation and Chinese nationhood? What has been the impact of rapid economic growth socially and the rise of inequality?
-Dong Yige, University of Buffalo and currently working on book, The Fabric of Care: Women’s Work and the Politics of Livelihood in A Chinese Mill Town
-Eli Friedman, Cornell University and author of forthcoming book, The Urbanization of People: The Politics of Development, Labor Markets, and Schooling in the Chinese City
-Yutong Lin, Nomadic Department of the Interior research collective
Moderator: Kevin Lin, Critical China Scholars/Made in China Journal
tni.org/en/webinar/china-and-the-world-webinar-series
China today has the second largest global economy, ranks first in outward foreign direct investment, has become the world leader in AI and a driver of economic growth globally. Global capitalism today would not survive in its current form without China’s dynamism and pivotal role. As the country’s wealth and influence has grown, the Chinese state is looking to consolidate power at home, while also playing a more assertive role within Asia and globally. This has led its global geopolitical role to be constantly scrutinised by outside commentators, most often in relationship to US power.
Yet China, despite its size and power, remains a state, nation, country and people that is little understood and poorly portrayed – most of all by mainstream media and politicians outside China. This is often a projection of the fears, ideologies and political interests of those outsiders, rather than an honest examination of China’s unique history, politics and peoples and their own struggles for meaningful well paid work, good education, quality healthcare, a clean environment.
To confront some of the mythologies, and also to deepen understanding of the country, Transnational Institute together with gongchao.org, Made In China Journal, Lausan, Critical China Scholars and the Asia-Europe Peoples’ Forum is putting together a six webinar series on China. It is intended for activists anywhere in the world who want to have a basic understanding of China’s political and economic system, its global impact and role, and the best ways to engage with the Chinese state, its institutions and corporations, and its communities and grassroots groups. The six week series is intended as a first introductory edition, and would be concluded with a survey to decide on future webinar editions that could deepen learning, as well as possible spin-offs from the series including publications.
#china #lifeinchina
