Doctoral Dissertation Research: Chinese Film Industry in the Post-Mao Era: An Organizational Analysis of the Field of Cultural Production Since 1978

University Of California-Berkeley, Berkeley CA

Investigators

Abstract

The Chinese market transition has brought about substantial challenges and opportunities for organizational transformation. A number of sociological studies have attempted to grasp the change by examining both state-owned and private enterprises, however, few have focused on the organizational transformation in the culture industry which has its own institutional constraints and opportunities. This study will examine the organizational characteristics of one sector of the Chinese culture industry-the Chinese film industry. I will examine how actors, both individual and organizational, in the field of cultural production are coping with uncertainties brought about by the policy of Reform and Opening from the late 1970s to the present. The research will be conducted in Beijing, China, and will rely on interviews with key actors in the industry as well as on detailed archival research of its history and present conditions. I ask the following research questions: 1) What are the characteristics of organizational configurations that comprise the Chinese film markets? 2) What are the strategies and structures being adopted by organizations embedded in the organizational field? 3) What is the relationship between the textual content of films being produced and the industrial system and organization of production-in other words, how do "text" and "context" interact to produce the contemporary Chinese film field? 4) What are the roles of the state in the above processes? The broader impacts of this research include the following: The scientific knowledge provided by this research will be shared with various professional organizations in the industry including the Beijing Film Academy in the form of presentations of the research findings as well as collaborative workshops. In addition, since this research utilizes theory and methods from a number of disciplines other than sociology (i.e., Chinese studies, organizational studies, film and media studies) results of the study will be disseminated in multi- and interdisciplinary conferences, workshops, and and other professional venues.