Welcome to Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art,

Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art ›› 2013, Vol. 33 ›› Issue (1): 28-38.

• Overseas Studies of Modern Chinese Literature • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Literary Debates and Paradigm Shifts in Overseas Studies of Modern Chinese Literature

Yingjin Zhang   

  1. Shanghai Jiaotong University; University of California, San Diego
  • Online:2013-01-25 Published:2013-02-20
  • About author:Yingjin Zhang is a Visiting Chair Professor at Shanghai Jiaotong University and Professor of Literature at University of California, San Diego. His research covers literature, film, urban culture, and cultural history, and he has published ten English books, nine Chinese books, and over 150 research articles.

Abstract: By way of reviewing paradigm shifts as manifested in three literary debates, this paper contends that overseas studies of modern Chinese literature never contain only one single voice but rather follow a trajectory similar to institutional changes and paradigm shifts in the humanities in Euro-America. As theories come and go inside and outside China, Chinese experiences have been pluralized and complicated by today’s fast development of globalization and therefore demand an exploration from multiple and even mobile perspectives.

Key words: modern Chinese literature, paradigm shift, institutional change, literary value, critical theory, Chinese experience, geocultural politics