A World of Division and Interdependence: A Sociological Interpretation of the Book-Publishing Field in China
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Authors
Journal Title
LOGOS Journal of the World Publishing Community
ISSN
0104-9933
Publisher
Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro
Type
Article
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Liu, Z. A World of Division and Interdependence: A Sociological Interpretation of the Book-Publishing Field in China. LOGOS Journal of the World Publishing Community https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.27858
Abstract
This article analyses the book-publishing industry in the mainland of the People’s Republic of China from a sociological perspective. Borrowing the concept of ‘field’, I demonstrate how the industry is a field of division, characterized by the distinction between state-owned firms and private-sector players, and yet is also shaped by the interdependence between these two types of organizations. In the first half of the article, I illustrate how the official, state-owned publishing houses interact with the ‘illegal’ private publishing firms, a process enabled by the distinctive ‘trade’ in ISBN numbers. In the second part, I examine the distribution sector, which too features a distinct separation between state-run and privately owned channels, resulting in companies operating in different channels receiving differentiated terms and treatment.
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This record's DOI: https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.27858
This record's URL: https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/280487
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