Silencing Shanghai: Language and Identity in Urban China

Silencing Shanghai explores the paradox of Shanghai's global city status and the marginalization of its native population, highlighting the state's policies that favor the rich and educated while alienating the poorer and less educated Shanghainese. The shift to Mandarin Chinese is part of the state's global city-building process, eliminating the unique vernacular characters of Shanghai.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 276 pages
Publication date: 15 March 2023
Publisher: Lexington Books

Silencing Shanghai: Unveiling the Paradoxical Marginalization of Shanghai's Native Population
Shanghai's rise as a global city has been accompanied by a paradoxical and counterintuitive phenomenon: the marginalization of its native population. This unique perspective is explored in the book Silencing Shanghai by Fang Xu, who delves into the power dynamics that shape a cosmopolitan metropolis under the watchful eye of an authoritarian state. Through policies affecting urban redevelopment, internal migration, and language, the state has favored the rich, the resourceful, and the highly educated, while alienating the poorer and less educated Shanghainese geographically and linguistically.

One of the key factors contributing to the marginalization of Shanghai's native population is the state's promotion of Mandarin Chinese as the national language. While Shanghainese made the conscious yet reluctant choice of shifting from the dialect to the national language, millions of migrants have little incentive to adopt the vernacular given that their relation to the state has already firmly established their legal, financial, and social standing in the city. This shift in the urban linguistic scene is part of the state-led global city-building process, which seeks to eliminate the unique vernacular characters of Shanghai and further align the city with the China Dream.

The book Silencing Shanghai provides a comprehensive analysis of the state's policies and their impact on Shanghai's native population. It highlights the ways in which the state's promotion of Mandarin Chinese has led to the marginalization of Shanghainese, particularly in terms of employment opportunities, social mobility, and cultural identity. The book also explores the resistance and activism of Shanghainese communities, who have sought to preserve their language and culture in the face of state-led policies.

Through its analysis, Silencing Shanghai sheds light on the complex and multifaceted nature of urbanization and globalization in China. It demonstrates how the state's policies can shape the social and cultural landscape of a city, and how the marginalization of certain groups can have long-term consequences for the city's development and stability. The book also raises important questions about the role of language in shaping identity and belonging, and the importance of preserving linguistic diversity in a globalizing world.

In conclusion, Silencing Shanghai is a valuable contribution to the study of urbanization and globalization in China. It provides a unique perspective on the paradoxical marginalization of Shanghai's native population and highlights the ways in which the state's policies have shaped the city's linguistic and cultural landscape. By exploring the resistance and activism of Shanghainese communities, the book sheds light on the complex and multifaceted nature of urbanization and globalization in China, and raises important questions about the role of language in shaping identity and belonging.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781793635334