SATIRE AS POLITICAL CULTURE IN CHINA

Abstract

This thesis addresses one of the most prevalent but controversial cultural forms in China – socio-political satire. In contrast to much of the previous literature on satire, which focuses on the meanings of satire and their effects on political engagement in western contexts, I focus on the production and distribution of satire in China. Based on a tri-angled theoretical framework of political culture (i.e., cultural history, cultural governance, cultural practice), I employed participant observation, discursive historical analysis, and crisp-set qualitative comparative analysis (cs-QCA) to answer one general question: How does the socio-political satire grow out of as well as influences the political culture in China? The thesis finds that satire is defined in China as a mixture of indoctrination and entertainment. The satire practices of different actors, including government, satire community, commercial organizations, and satirists, are full of self-contradictions and tensions. I conclude that the popularity of socio-political satire not only derives from but also promotes the post-authoritarian culture in China. Implications for future studies on satire and political culture are also discussed.