History 471

Subalterns March 25, 2007

So, I was just mulling over the readings from Streetlife China, and I’m beginning to wonder something: who isn’t a member of a subaltern? Traditional Chinese thought promotes conformity and the betterment of the community, but with economic reform we are clearly seeing the slow death of the work unit. I thought the chapter about the kids calling into the DJ and avoiding the work unit question was really interesting. The lives of women and homosexuals are changing too, so then who is left to say they still conform to some universal standard?

Going a little further, I noticed people’s lives seem culturally and even linguistically different in the cities. Lots of young girls are rejecting their traditional rural livelihoods after moving to Beijing. So, are people in the country becoming their own subaltern while migrant workers from the country in the city are another subaltern altogether?

Just thinking.