The identity of Chinese public space from Ancient times to Contemporary Society. The sociology of public behaviours in Chinese cities
Abstract
Public space has been intensively studied in the West, especially after the 50’s, when most western countries turn into mass societies in which mass culture become the mainstream. Scholars have studied public space from different perspectives – anthropology, architecture and urban planning, environmental psychology, geography, and sociology. In all cases both urban forms and people’s public behaviours have been studied. In China, there are some scholarly work on this issue. However, Chinese public space is deeply problematic, as a kind of physical environment. In this paper, we clarify three different types of space – private, public, and semi-public space in the Chinese context. Furthermore, we point out how Chinese people’s public behaviours are related to China’s public space and the relationship between China’s public space and China’s social structure and social norms, in addition to our historical and typological analysis of the three space types. Finally, we point out the limitations of public space in contemporary China.
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