Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book focuses on the Chinese Millennials born after the 1980s, it takes on the idea that youth is a social construction shaped by particular regional, cultural, and socio-economic factors rather than based on a strict bio-genealogical approach. It provides an insight on the complex interplay between youth cultures and spaces in China; but is also an innovative contribution on its own to the existing literature on contemporary Chinese society and culture that will interest scholars and students in Chinese and Asian studies, media studies, literature, film, art, sociology, and anthropology. The book explores a strong empirical base, providing unique concrete data on a variety of cultural practices across China, and on a combination of methodologies that result in a more efficient assessment of Chinese youth cultures.