Back Down to the Countryside: Contextualizing the Fanxiangqingnian ‘Return Youth’ Phenomenon, A Case Study of Heyang Village
From the novel repurposing of the anthropological term ‘involution’ (neijuan) to the phenomenon of ‘996.ICU,’ anxieties over expectations and pressures to ‘succeed’ are dimming the once seductive allure of China’s first and second tier cities. In contrast, small towns and villages are appearing in both official discourse and popular media as new lands of ‘opportunity’ for China’s youth, especially those seeking the proverbial ‘good life.’ Within this context, this paper discusses the emergence of a novel social category known as the fanxiangqingnian, ‘return youth,’ in Xi Jinping era China. Using empirical evidence collected from fieldwork conducted in the village of Heyang, in Zhejiang province, the experiences of several post-90’s youth with various backgrounds of urban socialization are discussed through the lens of fanxiangqingnian.
Date:
17 February 2022, 17:00 (Thursday, 5th week, Hilary 2022)
Venue:
Online
Speaker:
Linda Qian (University of Oxford)
Organising department:
Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies
Organisers:
Professor Denise van der Kamp (University of Oxford),
Dr Yi Lu (University of Oxford),
Dr Coraline Jortay (University of Oxford),
Dr Chigusa Yamaura (University of Oxford),
Dr Giulia Falato (University of Oxford)
Organiser contact email address:
information@chinese.ox.ac.uk
Host:
Professor Denise van der Kamp (University of Oxford)
Part of:
China Studies Seminar series
Booking required?:
Required
Booking url:
https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_wKofVgktQK-Knzbb6AwS8Q
Cost:
Free
Audience:
Public
Editor:
Clare Orchard
