The "Socialist Transformation" of Memory: Reversing Chinese History through "Pernicious-Vestiges" Media Discourse

This book explores the primary metaphors of "Pernicious-Vestiges" and their political functions in China through discourse analysis and a historical comparison of news texts from Peoples Daily. It challenges the myth of memory superiority and suggests that the critical space compressed by these narratives should be restored to restore the order of memory and historical reflection.

Format: Hardback
Length: 220 pages
Publication date: 23 June 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Through discourse analysis and a historical comparison of "Pernicious-Vestiges" narratives in the news text of People's Daily, this book is devoted to revealing the primary metaphors of "Pernicious-Vestiges" and their political functions in China. "Pernicious-Vestiges" (Yí Dú 遗毒) is one of the most frequently used words in contemporary Chinese historical narration, as well as a constantly changing rhetorical direction in New China's media discourse, whose function is to remold memory. Over the past 76 years, the "Pernicious-Vestiges" narrative continuously constructed by People's Daily, the official newspaper of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, has reflected the views of China's political elite and represented the ruling party's evaluation and reevaluation of historical events. The findings of this book challenge the myth that memory is naturally superior to forgetting, reflect on the ethics of memory in "Pernicious-Vestiges" narratives and the erasure of their own justice, and suggest that the critical space compressed by "Pernicious-Vestiges" narratives should be returned to restore the order of memory and historical reflection.

This book will be an excellent read for students and scholars of Chinese studies, media studies, and those who are interested in political communication and collective memory in general.

Weight: 580g
Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032530123