Mobilising China's One-Child Generation

An important contribution to the study of nationalism, education and militarisation in contemporary China. Naftali's research provides a comprehensive and well-documented account of the ways in which the state attempts to shape young people's conceptions of war and military service, while recognising the role of young people in negotiating these narratives. Through a combination of fieldwork and textual analysis, it paints a dynamic picture of the ideological forces shaping China's younger generations.--Giovannipaolo Ferrari ""Europe-Asia Studies"" Orna Naftali's highly readable book is overall a meaningful addition to the debates about the militarization of Chinese society. It is of great relevance to anyone interested in Chinese youth, education, and military-society relations more broadly.--Jérôme Doyon ""The China Quarterly"" Around the world, matters of security are shrouded in secrecy. Naftali skilfully and courageously lifts the veil from the multiple enmeshments of education with militarisation in China, one youngster at a time. A disciplined and ruthless book, and a must read for everyone who desires to understand the promises and limits of militarisation. --Sabine Frühstück, University of California Santa Barbara In this ethnographically enriched book, Naftali navigates macro-level discourses, institutional practices and individual subjectivities to offer a nuanced exploration of China's militarisation of education and the complicated perceptions of it by the nation's youth. --Fengshu Liu, University of Oslo This is the first authoritative study of how the Chinese education system and media guide youth on war, peace and the military. And, how youth respond in often unexpected ways to these top-down lessons. Naftali's insights are urgent and profound for all those concerned about China and the world's strategic order. --Louise Edwards, University of New South Wales, Australia