Providing both an overview of the political situation and context in China with ethnographic insights, The Politics of Everyday China aims to give both the new student of China and those who have encountered the subject before an insight that goes beyond the usual cliché and surface description.

Introduction1 ‘It doesn’t matter if the cat is black or white as long as it catches the mouse’: the role of ideology in Communist China2 The road to revival3 People and place in the civilisation State4 Harmony and the self: rights and responsibilities5 To get rich is gloriousConclusion

This book looks at how the contract between the Chinese state and its citizens produces ready compliance and apparent support, despite problems with corruption, food scandals, air pollution and constraints on personal freedom. It explores the ways in which China’s past is presented as both a mandate for political monopoly and a promise of a glorious future.From its multi-ethnic population with a huge variety of languages, races and religions to its landscapes of futuristic mega cities and rural poverty, it is a land of vastly diverse people and places. This book aims to explore this rich diversity through the voices of the people, by exploring the lived experience of a broad range of citizens from diverse socio-economic, rural, urban ethnic and religious backgrounds.At a key moment in China’s history, this book aims to tell the story of the transformation of China through the lives of the people who call it home.