Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
Date of Degree
6-2025
Document Type
Doctoral Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy
Program
Theatre and Performance
Advisor
Peter Eckersall
Committee Members
Marvin A. Carlson
Erika T. Lin
Subject Categories
Dramatic Literature, Criticism and Theory | Performance Studies
Keywords
Performance of work, post-reform China, workers' performance
Abstract
This dissertation explores how the performance of work and workers’ experiences evolved across various media platforms in China’s post-reform era. Anchored in significant historical moments in the market reforms era (1980s-1990s) and contemporary times (2000-present), the study investigates how the construction of work and the role of workers have been transformed in performances in response to China’s socio-political changes.
In the socialist era, collective identity was constructed and propagated through model theatres and other types of revolutionary performances to promote an ideology of collective unity of workers. Ultimately, these performative activities call for social mobilizations and a revolutionary ideological form of enlightenment. When China experienced the socio-economic transformation from the socialist era to a market economy, the performance of work was significantly affected. The 1990s TV drama Migrant Girls reflects the ideological shifts brought by economic reforms, portraying the dissolution of collective worker life and the emergence of updated work ethos. This narrative promotes new values, such as creativity and entrepreneurship, while devaluing the socialist ethos, such as loyalty and selflessness. In the 2000s, migrant workers’ grassroots performance groups, like the New Workers’ Art Troupe, used theatre, music, and other art forms to document histories, negotiate social issues, and provide mutual emotional support. These collective activities play a significant role in shaping new worker identities and fostering a sense of nostalgic community in the post-reform era. The digital media landscape reveals how new urban workers use self-media platforms to share their daily lives and establish new forms of digital workers’ identities. These online performances, entangled with authenticity and censorship complexities, illustrate the multifaceted nature of contemporary performance of work in the digital age.
Exploring the post-reform cases of artistic, media, and cultural performances, this dissertation examines the lingering forms of socialist culture and their impact on contemporary performance of work and workers’ identities. It analyzes the evolution of artistic activities and the dynamic interplay between state policies, market forces, and cultural practices from the 1990s to the present day.
Recommended Citation
Kang, Bindi, "Staging Labor: Evolving Performance of Work in Post-Reform China" (2025). CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/6217
