Rethinking Global Civil Society (GCS) Theory ----- A Political Analysis on the Rise of Popular Nationalism in China

Abstract: Global Civil Society (GCS) Theory maintains that nationalism will gradually decline as processes of globalization increase. However, the recent rise of popular nationalism in China is one counterexample to GCS theory. By using case study and narrative analysis on researching recent popular nationalist movements in China, we find that it is the “victim-superpower” identity among Chinese people that inspires popular nationalism. Nevertheless, GCS theory cannot explain this phenomenon because GCS theory neglects the identity struggle within the global context and takes for granted that global citizen identity will become the natural salient identity. We should be aware of such essentialism in GCS theory and focus more on constructivism when studying nationalism and globalization.