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Constructing Modern Ethnic Myth: A Cultural Analysis of the Hanfu Movement

Li, Kehan LU (2021) TKAM02 20211
Division of Ethnology
Abstract
This ethnographic study investigates the rising Hanfu movement in China. Hanfu, literally means the clothing of Han ethnicity, but it is a newly coined terminology. The movement takes Hanfu as a symbol and aims to redefine the position of Han ethnicity in Chinese society and extend the influence of Chinese culture in the worldwide. Methods including interviewing, netnography and critical discourse analysis are employed in the research. In this thesis I explore the narratives around Hanfu, the identity and self-image constructed by Hanfu supporters and the paradoxes of the movement. Daniel Miller’s concept of stuff, Benedict Anderson's imagined communities and Manuel Castells’ idea of contemporary identity are the basis of the theoretical... (More)
This ethnographic study investigates the rising Hanfu movement in China. Hanfu, literally means the clothing of Han ethnicity, but it is a newly coined terminology. The movement takes Hanfu as a symbol and aims to redefine the position of Han ethnicity in Chinese society and extend the influence of Chinese culture in the worldwide. Methods including interviewing, netnography and critical discourse analysis are employed in the research. In this thesis I explore the narratives around Hanfu, the identity and self-image constructed by Hanfu supporters and the paradoxes of the movement. Daniel Miller’s concept of stuff, Benedict Anderson's imagined communities and Manuel Castells’ idea of contemporary identity are the basis of the theoretical framework. The findings from my fieldwork indicate that the Hanfu movement is a typical nationalist movement, the movement per se faces multiple challenges. Besides, the nation-building process of modern China is still ongoing. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Li, Kehan LU
supervisor
organization
course
TKAM02 20211
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
Hanfu, nationalism, clothing, China, Han, social movement
language
English
id
9057325
date added to LUP
2021-06-22 15:38:55
date last changed
2021-06-22 15:38:55
@misc{9057325,
  abstract     = {{This ethnographic study investigates the rising Hanfu movement in China. Hanfu, literally means the clothing of Han ethnicity, but it is a newly coined terminology. The movement takes Hanfu as a symbol and aims to redefine the position of Han ethnicity in Chinese society and extend the influence of Chinese culture in the worldwide. Methods including interviewing, netnography and critical discourse analysis are employed in the research. In this thesis I explore the narratives around Hanfu, the identity and self-image constructed by Hanfu supporters and the paradoxes of the movement. Daniel Miller’s concept of stuff, Benedict Anderson's imagined communities and Manuel Castells’ idea of contemporary identity are the basis of the theoretical framework. The findings from my fieldwork indicate that the Hanfu movement is a typical nationalist movement, the movement per se faces multiple challenges. Besides, the nation-building process of modern China is still ongoing.}},
  author       = {{Li, Kehan}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Constructing Modern Ethnic Myth: A Cultural Analysis of the Hanfu Movement}},
  year         = {{2021}},
}