| ID | 178887 |
| Title Proper | Between Emotion, Politics and Law |
| Other Title Information | Narrative Transformation and Authoritarian Deliberation in a Land Dispute-triggered Social Drama in China |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Liang, Limin |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | Through studying a revenge murder triggered by a land dispute in China and the subsequent trial, this article explores “narrative transformation” in a social drama and proposes an event-based model for authoritarian deliberation. It argues that an obscure murder rose to prominence because it came to be narrated as a different kind of story. Initially viewed as “a normal killing,” it was transformed to represent a “contest” between a law-and-order frame, which emphasizes individual guilt, and a righteous-revenge frame, which symbolizes wider conflicts. The article also contends that in the absence of an institutionalized issue forum, contentious events present a model for authoritarian deliberation. That is to say, deliberation is often pegged to social dramas on the “judicial periphery,” thanks to a liminal phase inviting reflexivity, and exposes elite dissent that is otherwise veiled by an interest-driven alliance. In this case study, the media engaged with other institutions in contentious performances that affirmed hidden social fault-lines but also encouraged deliberation. |
| `In' analytical Note | China Quarterly , No.245; Mar 2021: p.94 - 121 |
| Journal Source | China Quarterly No 245 |
| Key Words | China ; Law and politics ; Land Disputes ; Authoritarian Deliberation ; Social Drama ; Narrative Transformation |