Table Of Content

After Postmodernism This book engages with the critical decline of postmodernism and newer currents of thinking that have come to the fore, including postcolonialism, feminism, and cultural studies, constituting an exploration of the cultural landscape after the heyday of postmodernism in the West and its profound influence on the Chinese cultural scene. Topics discussed include the prevalent theoretical trends and cultural phe- nomena in the West in the wake of postmodernism, how these developments have influenced contemporary Chinese literary and cultural criticism, and how Chinese scholars can have an equal dialogue with the dominant Western theorists. The chapters examine critical issues and figures in the fields, including postmodernity and globalization, as well as the theories of Edward Said, Gayatri Spivak, Homi Bhabha, and Judith Butler. Taking a comparative and cross-c ultural perspective, especially between China and the West, the title also sheds light on the imprint of Western theoretical trends on the literature and culture of contemporary China, exemplified in diasporic writing, cinema, women’s literature, popular culture, and the overall orientation of contemporary Chinese literature. The book will be a critical reference for all levels of reader interested in postmodernism, critical theory, postcolonialism, feminism, cultural studies, comparative and world literature, and contemporary Chinese literature and culture. Wang Ning is Distinguished University Professor of Humanities and Social Sciences at Shanghai Jiao Tong University and Changjiang Distinguished Professor of English and Comparative Literature at Tsinghua University in China. He was elected to the Academy of Latinity in 2010 and to Academia Europaea in 2013. He specializes in literary and cultural theory, comparative literature, and world literature. China Perspectives The China Perspectives series focuses on translating and publishing works by leading Chinese scholars, writing about both global topics and China- related themes. It covers Humanities & Social Sciences, Education, Media and Psychology, as well as many interdisciplinary themes. This is the first time any of these books has been published in English for international readers. The series aims to put forward a Chinese perspective, give insights into cutting- edge academic thinking in China, and inspire researchers globally. To submit proposals, please contact the Taylor & Francis Publisher for China Publishing Programme, Lian Sun ([email protected]) Titles in literature currently include: A Comprehensive Study of Tang Poetry I Lin Geng A Comprehensive Study of Tang Poetry II Lin Geng A Thematic Exploration of Twentieth- Century Western Literature Jiang Chengyong Oral Epic Traditions in China and Beyond Chao Gejin A Study of the Urban Poetics of Frank O’Hara Wang Xiaoling, Wang Yuzhi and Zheng Mingyuan After Postmodernism Wang Ning For more information, please visit www.routledge.com/ China- Perspectives/ book- series/ CPH After Postmodernism Wang Ning First published in English 2023 by Routledge 4 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN and by Routledge 605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158 Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2023 Wang Ning Originally written in Chinese by Wang Ning Translated from Chinese into English by Wang Ning English translation copyright © Wang Ning The right of Wang Ning to be identified as author of this work has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. This English version is published by arrangement with Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press Co., Ltd, Shanghai, China. British Library Cataloguing- in- Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging- in- Publication Data Names: Wang, Ning, 1955– author, translator. Title: After Postmodernism / Ning Wang. Other titles: Hou xian dai zhu yi zhi hou. English Description: Abingdon, Oxon New York, NY : Routledge, 2022. | Series: China perspectives | Includes bibliographical references and index. | Identifiers: LCCN 2021062150 (print) | LCCN 2021062151 (ebook) Subjects: LCSH: Postmodernism (Literature)–China. | Chinese literature–20th century–Western influences. | Postcolonialism–China.| Feminism and literature–China. | Postmodernism–China. | LCGFT: Literary criticism. Classification: LCC PL2303 .W335813 2022 (print) | LCC PL2303 (ebook) | DDC 895.109/113–dc23/eng/20220411 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021062150 LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021062151 ISBN: 978- 1- 032- 28439- 2 (hbk) ISBN: 978- 1- 032- 28918- 2 (pbk) ISBN: 978- 1- 003- 29894- 6 (ebk) DOI: 10.4324/ 9781003298946 Typeset in Times New Roman by Newgen Publishing UK Contents Preface vii PART I Beyond Postmodernism 1 1 Postmodernity and Globalization 3 2 Globalization as Glocalization in China 17 3 Theories and Cultural Trends After Postmodernism 33 PART II Postcolonialism Reconsidered 77 4 Diasporic Writing and the Reconstruction of Chinese National and Cultural Identity or Identities 79 5 Edward Said: Orientalism and the Critique of Cultural Hegemonism 92 6 Gayatri Spivak: Postcolonial Intellectual and Third World Criticism 108 7 Homi Bhabha: Narration, Cultural Location, and Identity 122 8 Chinese Cinema Challenged by Postcoloniality and Globalization 134 vi Contents PART III Feminist Theory and Literature 147 9 New Orientations of Feminist Theory 149 10 Gender Studies in the Post- Theoretical Era 157 11 The Feminist Sense in Contemporary Chinese Female Literature 172 PART IV Cultural Studies 183 12 Cultural Studies: Mainstream Intellectual Trends in the West 185 13 Cultural Studies and the Future of Comparative Literature 198 14 Cultural Studies and Canonical Literature Studies 210 15 Postmodernity of Contemporary Chinese Popular Culture 220 16 The Characteristics of Schizophrenia in Contemporary Chinese Literature 231 Bibliography 245 Index 253 Preface This book was originally published in Chinese by the Chinese Literature Press in 1998, and then the second and revised edition was published by the Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press in 2019. The Chinese Literature Press edition mainly collected some papers which I wrote in 1997– 1998, and carried on the editing process, finally forming a quite systematic monograph. At the invitation of the Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press, the second edition involved the addition of two chapters and some revisions to the original ones. As I said in the original preface, my original intention was to respond to a common concern in the domestic academic community: that is, after the decline of postmodernism in Western literary theoretical circles, what is worth studying? Indeed, postmodernism, after a period of development within North America and Europe and, subsequently, travelling throughout the world, was finally on the decline, and some of the non- mainstream dis- cursive forces that were previously suppressed in the periphery—f eminist theories and criticism, postcolonialism and Third World criticism, and cultural studies— have all sought to move from the periphery to the center, and in an attempt to remove the centrality of nominally imperial discourse. Readers in the Chinese context may well remember that I had written and published a lot about postmodernism and contemporary Chinese culture and literature since the late 1980s, and at the same time, in China’s mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan, as well as in overseas academic and literary theoretical circles which has launched some discussion and debate. So my name was automat- ically associated with the term “postmodernism,” whether for good or ill. I vowed several times that I would never write anything about postmodernism again, but I could never get past the repeated invitations of editors at some publishing houses and journals. It was later suggested to me that the best way to say goodbye to postmodernism was to write a book that comprehensively introduced Western literary theories and critical trends after postmodernism. But that’s easy to say. You’d have to read a lot of books and numerous articles to get started. So I took the opportunity of every conference and study and lecture abroad for more than a decade to buy a large number of books and academic journals in this field, plus some books and journals given to me by my Western friends. There are hundreds of them. So I read, I wrote, and viii Preface I sent individual papers to various journals for publication. In this way, within two years, I had published dozens of articles on this topic both at home and abroad. At the suggestion of my friends, I picked out more than a dozen and rearranged them for the first edition of the book. The second edition, after a thorough revision, is divided into three parts according to content and style. The first part deals with some issues related to postmodernism to make a general review of what have appeared after the decline of postmodernism. Of course, such a summary is unavoidable, but should at least appeal to the general reader as well as enabling academic colleagues to lay a foundation for further in-d epth research. The second part, “Postcolonialism,” should be the focus of the book. After first making a “bird’s eye view” review of the origin of postcolonial theory and the general situation of postcolonial literature, I try to give a more detailed analysis based on the theoretical characteristics of Said, Spivak, and Bhabha, who are the representatives of postcolonial theory. They are discussed in connection with the concerns of the Chinese literary, film, and cultural circles over the past decades with regard to such issues as “postcolonialism” and “decolon- ization,” as several Chinese commentators have become involved in the discussion of postcolonialism in a Third World context. Chapter 7 of the first edition was not included in the second edition of the book, and this revision has thus included the three major figures in postcolonial theory who are all under critical review and discussion. The third part of the first edition had only two chapters on Western and Chinese women’s literature and feminist theory, respectively. Frankly speaking, my past research (especially when discussing the postmodernity of contemporary Chinese literature) has often neglected the rise of Chinese female literature in the past 30 years, which has caused dissatisfaction among and even criticism from some of my female friends. I think these two chapters in the first edition of the book at least prove my own concern and attention to feminist critical theory and contemporary Chinese female literature in the context of today’s cultural studies. The second edition includes Chapter 10 which summarizes some of the new trends in the transition from postmodern theory to gender studies. Part IV deals with cultural studies that is prevalent in the West, especially in English- speaking countries. Many issues are still under discussion because they are too close to the present, especially in China. And there is far from any consensus as to the definition of “Cultural Studies”; so my research can only be a general and critical overview. Once combined with the actual situation of China, I try to deal with China’s cultural studies under Western influence. In short, since my main area of study is comparative literature and Western literature and literary theory, even if I happen to dabble in Chinese literature, I only use a comparative and cross- cultural perspective, especially between China and the West. So this book basically reflects my consistent style of writing or approach: moving beyond the boundaries of discipline, across Eastern and Western cultures and literature, based on comparative literature Preface ix studies, based on the transformation of Western theories into contemporary Chinese cultural and literary studies, and, finally, aiming to achieve the goal of dialogue with the Western and international academic community. Of course, this is only my own desire. As for whether it has been realized, it remains to be tested by the general reader. If there are any inaccuracies in this book, I hope that experts and scholars at home and abroad will not hesitate to rectify them. What I want to particularly emphasize here is that the present English book is by no means the faithful translation of my original Chinese book, as I thought it should be different from writing intended for the Chinese audience. In this sense, I have largely revised and sometimes even rewritten the original Chinese book. In the process of revising and translating and rewriting these chapters, I have also renewed the references and checked out quotations. So the present book will look largely different from the original Chinese one. Some of the chapters were published in English-l anguage journals in different forms. I simply acknowledge my heartfelt thanks to the editors of these journals: Chapter 1 was published as “Postmodernity, Postcoloniality and Globalization: A Chinese Perspective,” Social Semiotics, 10(2) (2000): 221– 233. Chapter 2 was published as “Globalisation as Glocalisation in China: A New Perspective,” Third World Quarterly, 36(11) (2015): 2059– 2074. Chapter 4 was published as “Diasporic Writing and the Reconstruction of Chinese National and Cultural Identity or Identities in a Global Postcolonial Context,” ARIEL, 40(1) (2009): 107– 123. Chapter 10 was published as “Gender Studies in the Post- Theoretical Era: Mainly a Chinese Perspective,” Comparative Literature Studies, 54(1) (2017): 14– 30. Chapter 11 was published as “Feminist Theory and Contemporary Chinese Female Literature,” Tamkang Review, 29(1) (1998): 107– 121. Chapter 16 was published as “From Psychoanalysis to Schizoanalysis: Reflections on Current Chinese Literary Cultures,” Social Semiotics, 7(3) (1997): 323– 334. I have, however, largely revised these journal articles so that they will appear in the book as chapters rather than individual articles. Dr Zou Li, my former postdoctoral researcher at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, helped me translate Chapters 9, 12, 14, and 15 before my subsequent revisions. I express my heartfelt thanks to him. Thanks also must go to the following editors, colleagues, and friends: Sun Guoyong from the Chinese Literature Press, Sun Yu, Sun Jing, and Liu Huachu from the Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press, and Lian Sun and Xiaoyin Feng from Routledge, without whose encouragement and