Remembering the City: Changing Conceptions of Community in Urban China

Abstract

Adopting complimentary integrative research methodologies, this article examines changing conceptions of community among urban residents within the city of Suzhou, Jiangsu province, China. Through local residents’ past memories, “everyday” experiences of (former) urban communities, and reflections on a particular way of life, we focus upon the subjective/affective meanings and memories attached to processes of urban change. We place emphasis on the manner in which residents make sense of sociospatial transformations in relation to the (re)making of community, local social interaction, and a sense of belonging. Discussion centers on the affective and embodied notions of a particular way of life in (older) communities; sensory performances that were deemed difficult to replicate within modern development zones and the broader field of contemporary Chinese society.

Community Services and Social Involvement in COVID-19 Governance: Evidence from China

“…The platform also assists in supervising the infected individuals’ physical isolation, which can help decrease the spread of the virus [ 9 , 44 ]. However, other studies argue that the governance of traditional communities during the COVID-19 outbreak was limited because many community services were suspended without a long-term plan or comprehensive service management system [ 45 , 46 , 47 ]. For example, home care services were suspended due to the lack of human resources available for their provision [ 48 , 49 ].…”