HappinessisonChina’sagenda.FromXiJinping’s“ChineseDream”toonlinechatforums,theconspicuousreferencestohappinessarehardtomiss.Thisgroundbreakingvolumeanalyzeshowdifferentsocialgroupsmakeuseoftheconceptandshowshowcloselyofficialdiscoursesonhappinessareintertwinedwithpopularsentiments.TheChineseCommunistParty’sattemptstodefinehappinessandwell-beingaroundfamily-focusedHanChineseculturaltraditionsclearlystrikeachordwiththewiderpopulation.Thecollectionhighlightsthelinksconnectingtheideologiespromotedbythegovernmentandthewaytheyinform,andareinturninformedby,variousdeliberationsandfeelingscirculatinginthesociety.
Contributorsanalyzethegovernment’s“happinessmaximizationstrategies,”includingpublicserviceadvertisingcampaigns,ConfucianandDaoist-inflecteddiscoursesadaptedfortheself-helpmarket,andthepromotionofpositivepsychologyaswellas“happyhousewives.”Theyalsodiscussforcescounteringthehegemonicdiscourse:differentformsofhappinessintheLGBTQcommunity,teachingsofTibetanBuddhismthatsubvertthematerialculturepropagatedbythegovernment,andthecynicalmessagesinonlinenovelsthatexposethefictitiousnatureofpropaganda.Collectively,theauthorsbringoutcontemporaryChinesevoicesengagingwithdifferentphilosophies,practices,andidealisticimaginingsonwhatitmeanstobehappy.
