The Politics of Compassion

The Sichuan Earthquake and Civic Engagement in China

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science, Sociology
Cover of the book The Politics of Compassion by Bin Xu, Stanford University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Bin Xu ISBN: 9781503603400
Publisher: Stanford University Press Publication: August 22, 2017
Imprint: Stanford University Press Language: English
Author: Bin Xu
ISBN: 9781503603400
Publisher: Stanford University Press
Publication: August 22, 2017
Imprint: Stanford University Press
Language: English

The 2008 Sichuan earthquake killed 87,000 people and left 5 million homeless. In response to the devastation, an unprecedented wave of volunteers and civic associations streamed into Sichuan to offer help. The Politics of Compassion examines how civically engaged citizens acted on the ground, how they understood the meaning of their actions, and how the political climate shaped their actions and understandings.

Using extensive data from interviews, observations, and textual materials, Bin Xu shows that the large-scale civic engagement was not just a natural outpouring of compassion, but also a complex social process, both enabled and constrained by the authoritarian political context. While volunteers expressed their sympathy toward the affected people's suffering, many avoided explicitly talking about the causes of the suffering—particularly in the case of the collapse of thousands of schools. Xu shows that this silence and apathy is explained by a general inability to discuss politically sensitive issues while living in a repressive state. This book is a powerful account of how the widespread death and suffering caused by the earthquake illuminates the moral-political dilemma faced by Chinese citizens and provides a window into the world of civic engagement in contemporary China.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

The 2008 Sichuan earthquake killed 87,000 people and left 5 million homeless. In response to the devastation, an unprecedented wave of volunteers and civic associations streamed into Sichuan to offer help. The Politics of Compassion examines how civically engaged citizens acted on the ground, how they understood the meaning of their actions, and how the political climate shaped their actions and understandings.

Using extensive data from interviews, observations, and textual materials, Bin Xu shows that the large-scale civic engagement was not just a natural outpouring of compassion, but also a complex social process, both enabled and constrained by the authoritarian political context. While volunteers expressed their sympathy toward the affected people's suffering, many avoided explicitly talking about the causes of the suffering—particularly in the case of the collapse of thousands of schools. Xu shows that this silence and apathy is explained by a general inability to discuss politically sensitive issues while living in a repressive state. This book is a powerful account of how the widespread death and suffering caused by the earthquake illuminates the moral-political dilemma faced by Chinese citizens and provides a window into the world of civic engagement in contemporary China.

More books from Stanford University Press

Cover of the book Rules, Paper, Status by Bin Xu
Cover of the book Organizing Organic by Bin Xu
Cover of the book Beyond Nation by Bin Xu
Cover of the book Foucault and the Politics of Rights by Bin Xu
Cover of the book Can Green Sustain Growth? by Bin Xu
Cover of the book Days of National Festivity in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 1823–1889 by Bin Xu
Cover of the book From Frontier Policy to Foreign Policy by Bin Xu
Cover of the book China's Futures by Bin Xu
Cover of the book Luxurious Networks by Bin Xu
Cover of the book Financializing Poverty by Bin Xu
Cover of the book The Collected Letters of Robinson Jeffers, with Selected Letters of Una Jeffers by Bin Xu
Cover of the book The Self and It by Bin Xu
Cover of the book Christian Flesh by Bin Xu
Cover of the book Broke by Bin Xu
Cover of the book Worlds Within by Bin Xu
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy