Work

Morally Grounded Activism in Urban China: Ethics and Prefigurative Politics at the Public–Private Nexus

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: The existing literature on environmental activism in China remains largely framed by the state–society paradigm, with limited attention to how ethics, relationships, and subjectivity shape activist practices. In response, this article combines the theoretical lenses of prefigurative politics and intimate activism to propose the concept of “morally grounded activism.” Based on an ethnographic study of an ecological store and community hub that promotes sustainable living, the concept enables an analysis of everyday environmentalism as both transformation-driven and an ethical response to environmental crisis. In doing so, it moves beyond framing everyday environmentalism as a strategic response to growing repression of civil society under Xi Jinping, or as resulting from the deflection of responsibility onto individuals. In turn, it makes a theoretical intervention by calling for greater attention to subtle forms of agency and to the blurred space between the public and private spheres in China’s evolving political landscape.

Source: Modern China

DOI: 10.1177/00977004261432201

Authors: Anna Lora-Wainwright, Thomas Johnson, Li Qiu, Yuet Yan Katherine Wong

Institutions: University of Oxford, University of Sheffield, Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics

Language: English

Topic: China's Socioeconomic Reforms and Governance

Subfield: Political Science and International Relations

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Peace, justice, and strong institutions

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,650