Yueju – The Formation of a Legitimate Culture in Contemporary Shanghai
This article presents a case study of the development of a local cultural form – Shanghai Yueju – caught up in the rapid urban redevelopment of post-socialist China. Using Pierre Bourdieu’s concepts of ’habitus’ and ’distinction’, it analyses the processes of the reformation of taste and class in a...
Main Author: | |
---|---|
Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Linköping University Electronic Press
2011-01-01
|
Series: | Culture Unbound: Journal of Current Cultural Research |
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://cultureunbound.ep.liu.se/article/view/1999 |
id |
doaj-be2fb9f6fc584e7099f2b9040381676b |
---|---|
record_format |
Article |
spelling |
doaj-be2fb9f6fc584e7099f2b9040381676b2020-11-25T04:02:36ZengLinköping University Electronic PressCulture Unbound: Journal of Current Cultural Research2000-15252011-01-014110.3384/cu.2000.1525.124213Yueju – The Formation of a Legitimate Culture in Contemporary ShanghaiHaili Ma0Consultancy for inter-cultural theatre productions, UK This article presents a case study of the development of a local cultural form – Shanghai Yueju – caught up in the rapid urban redevelopment of post-socialist China. Using Pierre Bourdieu’s concepts of ’habitus’ and ’distinction’, it analyses the processes of the reformation of taste and class in a Chinese city. It explores the following question: can high levels of financial investment revive Yueju and allow it to gain market success and cultural distinction? The question is examined in the context of Shanghai’s swift urbanisation process, throughout which the government has reinforced its control over not only economic but also social and cultural capital. It suggests that ignoring Yueju’s rootedness in a local habitus of long history and focusing only on its economic organisation has had a damaging effect on the vibrancy and viability of this cultural form. This case study of Yueju in Shanghai suggests that economically driven cultural development could lead to the erosion of local culture and restricting its social and cultural innovation. https://cultureunbound.ep.liu.se/article/view/1999Shanghai operaeconomic developmenturban regenerationculture capitalsocial classtaste |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Haili Ma |
spellingShingle |
Haili Ma Yueju – The Formation of a Legitimate Culture in Contemporary Shanghai Culture Unbound: Journal of Current Cultural Research Shanghai opera economic development urban regeneration culture capital social class taste |
author_facet |
Haili Ma |
author_sort |
Haili Ma |
title |
Yueju – The Formation of a Legitimate Culture in Contemporary Shanghai |
title_short |
Yueju – The Formation of a Legitimate Culture in Contemporary Shanghai |
title_full |
Yueju – The Formation of a Legitimate Culture in Contemporary Shanghai |
title_fullStr |
Yueju – The Formation of a Legitimate Culture in Contemporary Shanghai |
title_full_unstemmed |
Yueju – The Formation of a Legitimate Culture in Contemporary Shanghai |
title_sort |
yueju – the formation of a legitimate culture in contemporary shanghai |
publisher |
Linköping University Electronic Press |
series |
Culture Unbound: Journal of Current Cultural Research |
issn |
2000-1525 |
publishDate |
2011-01-01 |
description |
This article presents a case study of the development of a local cultural form – Shanghai Yueju – caught up in the rapid urban redevelopment of post-socialist China. Using Pierre Bourdieu’s concepts of ’habitus’ and ’distinction’, it analyses the processes of the reformation of taste and class in a Chinese city. It explores the following question: can high levels of financial investment revive Yueju and allow it to gain market success and cultural distinction? The question is examined in the context of Shanghai’s swift urbanisation process, throughout which the government has reinforced its control over not only economic but also social and cultural capital. It suggests that ignoring Yueju’s rootedness in a local habitus of long history and focusing only on its economic organisation has had a damaging effect on the vibrancy and viability of this cultural form. This case study of Yueju in Shanghai suggests that economically driven cultural development could lead to the erosion of local culture and restricting its social and cultural innovation.
|
topic |
Shanghai opera economic development urban regeneration culture capital social class taste |
url |
https://cultureunbound.ep.liu.se/article/view/1999 |
work_keys_str_mv |
AT hailima yuejutheformationofalegitimatecultureincontemporaryshanghai |
_version_ |
1724442898994298880 |