Overview

Framing China sheds new light on Western relations with and perceptions of China in the first half of the twentieth century. In this ground-breaking book, Ariane Knüsel examines how China was portrayed in political debates and the media in Britain, the USA and Switzerland between 1900 and 1950. By focusing on the political, economic, cultural and social context that led to the construction of the particular images of China in each country, the author demonstrates that national interests, anxieties and issues influenced the way China was framed and resulted in different portrayals of China in each country. The author’s meticulous analysis of a vast amount of newspaper and magazine articles, commentaries, editorials, cartoons and newsreels that have previously not been studied before also focuses on the transnational circulation of images of China. While previous publications have dealt with the occurrence of the Yellow Peril and Red Menace in particular countries, Framing China reveals that these images were interpreted differently in every nation because they both reflected and contributed to the discursive construction of nationhood in each country and were influenced by domestic issues, cultural values, pre-existing stereotypes, pressure groups and geopolitical aspirations.

Full Product Details

9781138109292

Table of Contents

Reviews

'... a delightful read and very accessible to the general public. The author's use of images lends nuance to her arguments, adding another layer of historical data to scholarly research. [It] is a timely contribution to the scholarship on China and Sino-Western relations.' American Historical Review 'This book provides a conscientious and very helpful account of the topic named in its title. It will be welcomed particularly by teachers of 20th-century Chinese history for its ample illustrations, for it provides illustrations of no fewer than 46 political cartoons, almost one for every year of the time span covered... it sets a good standard, and future researchers in this area would do well to pay due attention to its findings.' Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies '... i vari capitoli offrono complessivamente una fresca ed originale interpreA tazione delle differenti percezioni della A questione cineseA nei tre paesi presi in esame. ['... the various chapters together offer a fresh and original interpretation of the different perceptions of the Chinese question in the three countries studied.]' Ricerche di storia politica

Author Information

Ariane Knüsel teaches history at the University of Zurich, Switzerland, and specializes in the history of British and American political, social and cultural relations with China.

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