Hope and Paradox in Contemporary Chinese Society: A Moment for Cultural Transformation?

Abstract

China in the midst of great changes has both changed and remained unchanged. Chinese society is full of hope but also faces many challenges. In particular, there is a paradox about the hope of the Chinese people. On the one hand, most of them are confident about the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, on the other hand, in the face of their own personal future, they are in a gloomy mood. How to make sense of this situation? This article carries on the analysis from five aspects. First of all, it reveals the objective context for the formation of hope by showing the structural changes of Chinese society since the reform and opening up. Secondly, it discusses the evolution of Chinese people’s spiritual world around individualism and consumerism, which is related to the subjective schema of hope. Third, the Chinese Dream is viewed in terms of the supply of social meaning and the construction of a community of hope. Fourth, it analyzes the mental order from the moral deficiency and structural tension in Chinese society. Finally, it examines the situations and hopes of the major social classes in the platform economy. Chinese culture is not bothered by paradoxes, but is used to living with them and looking for opportunities to break through them. Culturally speaking, China’s greatest hope lies in its spirit to strive for self-improvement unremittingly through intergenerational dynamics.