Events

Inequality in China: emotional costs and political risks

Hosted by the Department of Media and Communications

Wolfson Theatre, New Academic Building,

Speakers

Professor Wanning Sun

Professor Wanning Sun

Dr Bingchun Meng

Respondent

Chair

Professor Robin Mansell

Four decades of economic reform have transformed China into one of the most unequal countries in the world. Economic inequality and social stratification are easy to demonstrate, but the emotional costs of inequality for marginalised individuals—not to mention its political risks for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)—are little understood. This talk explores how socioeconomic inequality shapes the intimate lives of those who bear the brunt of China’s most intractable problems of inequality: China’s young rural migrants.

Drawing on her longitudinal ethnographic work in China, Professor Sun uses media and culture to explore how inequality is experienced at the level of individual affect, and how it is managed by the CCP as a political risk. She demonstrates the intrinsic interplay between symbolic and socioeconomic marginalisation, and argues for a much needed affective turn in inequality studies.

Wanning Sun is Professor of Media and Cultural Studies, University of Technology Sydney, Australia.

Bingchun Meng is Associate Professor and Deputy Head, Department of Media and Communications, LSE.

Robin Mansell is Professor of New Media and the Internet and Head of Department, Media and Communications.

The Department of Media and Communications (@MediaLSE) undertakes outstanding and innovative research and provides excellent research-based graduate programmes for the study of media and communications. The Department was established in 2003 and in 2014 our research was ranked number 1 in the most recent UK research evaluation, with 91% of research outputs ranked world-leading or internationally excellent.

Twitter Hashtag for this event: #LSEChina

Twitter and Facebook

You can get immediate notification on the availability of an event podcast by following LSE public lectures and events on Twitter, which will also inform you about the posting of transcripts and videos, the announcement of new events and other important event updates. Event updates and other information about what's happening at LSE can be found on the LSE's Facebook page.

Accessibility

If you are planning to attend this event and would like details on how to get here and what time to arrive, as well as on accessibility and special requirements, please refer to LSE Events FAQ.  LSE aims to ensure that people have equal access to these public events, but please contact the events organiser as far as possible in advance if you have any access requirements so that arrangements, where possible, can be made. If the event is ticketed, please ensure you get in touch in advance of the ticket release date. Access Guides to all our venues can be viewed online.

WIFI Access

LSE has now introduced wireless for guests and visitors in association with 'The Cloud', also in use at many other locations across the UK. If you are on campus visiting for the day or attending a conference or event, you can connect your device to wireless. See more information and create an account at Join the Cloud.
Visitors from other participating institutions are encouraged to use eduroam. If you are having trouble connecting to eduroam, please contact your home institution for assistance.
The Cloud is only intended for guest and visitor access to wifi. Existing LSE staff and students are encouraged to use eduroam instead.

From time to time there are changes to event details so we strongly recommend that if you plan to attend this event you check back on this listing on the day of the event.

Whilst we are hosting this listing, LSE Events does not take responsibility for the running and administration of this event. While we take responsible measures to ensure that accurate information is given here (for instance by checking that the room has been booked) this event is ultimately the responsibility of the organisation presenting the event.