This book explores the emergent concept of 'human security' within the political context of COVID-19 Chinese politics. For decades, Western nations have used 'human rights' as a rubric with which to scold Chinese leaders, betraying a fundamental unwillingness to accept diversity of governance systems. As COVID-19 has demonstrated, different governance systems yield different outcomes—the freedom of circulation, speech and movement in Western democracies yielding one, and use of surveillance, lockdowns, and private–public collaboration in China and Asian societies such as Korea and Singapore yielding another. Chinese political scientists have become fixated on the notion of 'human security,' a utilitarian concept which insists on the importance of protecting and extending human life via health care, technology, and a wide range of other systems—sometimes, in ways which contradict Western notions of human rights, even as they demonstrably achieve superior outcomes for the humans involved. Being the first English language book to explore these issues, this book aims to generate a sustained theoretical relevance in the aftermath of the crisis which is likely to have lasting effects on how people live and will be of note for political scientists, China scholars, and economists.
Author(s): Chi Zhang
Edition: 1
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
Year: 2022
Language: English
Commentary: TruePDF
Pages: 211
Tags: Political Science; Systems And Data Security; Political Sociology; Public Health
Acknowledgements
Contents
Notes on Contributors
List of Figures
List of Tables
1 Introduction
The Predicament of Human Security: Criticality vs Practicality
Human Security in China
Research Question
Chapter Outline
References
2 (Ir)responsible Centrality? External Representations of China’s COVID-19 Diplomacy
Introduction
China and Responsible Human Security
China, Human Security and COVID-19
Representations of China’s ‘Responsibility’ and COVID-19
Conclusion
References
3 Human Security and the Party-State-Society Triangle: Rethinking the CCP's Legitimacy Management in COVID-19
Introduction
The Party-State-Society Triangle and Public Health Crisis
The Party-State-Society Triangle
The Party-State-Society Triangle as an Institutional Cause of the COVID-19 Outbreak in Wuhan
Safe Until Proven Infectious?
The Absence of the Web-Based Reporting System
The Party-State-Society Triangle and the CCP's Legitimacy Management in COVID-19
Attribution of Responsibilities, Management of Social Opinions, and Mobilization Against the Virus
Human Security as the Master-Signifier in the Legitimation Process
Concluding Remarks
References
4 Securitizing New Energy Amidst the Global Pandemic: The Chinese State and the Politics of Climate Change
Introduction
Renewable Energy: Wind and Solar
Nuclear Power
Electric Vehicles
Discussion and Conclusion
References
5 The Education for Patriotism in Post-Pandemic China: The CCP’s Approach to “Psychological Insecurity” in Focus
Introduction
Reconceptualising Human Security in the Chinese Context
Contextualising School Education for Human Security
Measuring Psychological Insecurity: Sources and the Nationalist Response in China
Cultivating Patriotism: the Party Leadership and Security Agenda in Schools
The First Lesson: Dispelling Psychological Insecurity and “Mental Contamination” with Patriotism
Discussion
References
6 Immobility: Surviving the COVID-19 Outbreak
Introduction
Methodology
The Studied Case
Data Collection and Analysis
Imposed and Self-Motivated Immobility
Insecure Mobility
Insecure Access to Food and Other Necessities
Insecure Access to Social Interactions and Social Activities
Physical Abuse and Cyberbullying in the Name of Security
Concluding Remarks
References
7 Mental Health in the COVID-19 Pandemic and the Role of Social Media
Psychological Responses and Mental Health During COVID-19 Pandemic in China
Public Psychological Responses to the COVID-19 Outbreak
Vulnerable Populations to the Pandemic’s Psychological Impact
The Role of Social Media
China’s Social Media Environment and Ecosystem
Social Media as a Crucial Source of Information and Misinformation
Social Media for Emotional Expression and Social Support
Social Media for Mental Health Services
Conclusions
References
8 Health Security and Public Health Emergency Management in China
Health-Security Linkage: Securitization and Public Health Emergency Management
A-Securitization: Legal and Institutional Structure
Hyper-Securitization: Legal and Institutional Structure
Conclusion
Bibliography
Index
