Space Production And Cultural Representation

Built upon Existential-Practical Philosophy and Contemporary Western Spatial Turn, this research analyzes texts in Chinese Modern Literature to investigate how literature---as a special way of cultural production---constructs representational space; gives space specified meanings of life and cultural denotations of the society and history; and unpacks the interrelationships between space production and literature representation in the interactive interpretations of interdisciplinary integration.During the cultural and ideological percussions and transformations in the 20th century, theoretical research on space breaks the linear constraints of time and becomes a hot spot in the modern academia in a spectacular way. This is called"Spatial Turn". Spatial Turn, as a transformation in the contemporary cultural and ideological paradigms, is a revolution in inquiries, mindsets, discourses, and interpretations. Therefore, it brings to humanities not partial percussions, but complete changes in the research paradigm. It influences such disciplines as contemporary philosophy, sociology, geography, literature theories, and cultural studies.Existential-Practical Philosophy provides this research a scientific perspective and a solid theoretical foundation in dialectic examinations of space. From a philosophical perspective, human's explorations of space are limited by the philosophical mindset in a particular period of time; different philosophical mindsets result in different understandings of space. Human's contemplations on space theories can be roughly described as epistemology- based space epistemology, existential-practical-based theory of spatial production, and postmodernism- based theory of spatial power. Dialectic examinations of space from the perspective of Existential-Practical Philosophy have absorbed the accomplishments in space epistemology, but have overcome its limitations; thus have provided theories to the development of theory of spatial power and laid solid philosophical foundations for the dialectic examinations of space.In Existential-Practical Philosophy -based theory of spatial power, it is believed that space is the product of human's social practice which in turn gives space cultural meanings and values. Therefore, based on practice, space becomes a dialectic unity of society, history, and humanity. From the perspective of Existential-Practical Philosophy, the practical nature of space can be summarized as unities of the unbound and bound; natural geography and social history; objective concretion and cultural representation; and the place living and the body space.Under the influence of spatial turn, literature theories and space theories interact with each other, which drive the constant expansion of contemplation on space in literature and the formation of literature space theories. Literature space theories started from Existential-Practical Philosophy and are dedicated to expanding experience, esthetics, imagination and representation of space. It looks at how literature as a special approach to cultural production builds the representative space, and gives space particular meanings of life and denotations of society, history, and culture. Literature is one of the main forms of cultural representational production. As an important component in the building of cultural representational space, literature involved construction of representational space refers to a symbolized space which literature produces based on symbols of languages, words, real spectacle, thoughts and affections by means of representation, expression, imagination, fiction, metaphor and symnol. The process of literature representation is the process of giving space cultural meanings.Since the modern times, space production and reshuffling in China have been faced with a series of complicated problems in the process of colonization, commercialization, urbanization, and globalization. This research is focused on the reshuffling and reconstruction of modern space in China, trying to unpack the complex interrelationships between literature and spaces of nation, urban spectacle, everyday life, political power, body and communication media. This research analyzes, in modern novels, the fission of the traditional space and reconstruction of the modern space; construction of national imagination unity and the national space; expression of urban space spectacle and sensory experiences; discovery of life world and everyday life space; cultural and political power and rules of the body space. It also examines such cultural and political relationship as political power, ideology and body rules that are hidden behind space production, as well as their direct and significant impacts on human's behaviors, cultures, existence and moralities. This research emphasizes on issues in China in the explorations of space; examines the interactive relationships between literature representational space and social historical space since China entered into the modern times; explains the significance of modern novels in China in the process of reshuffling and reconstruction of the modern space; and provides a brand new theoretical perspective for the better understandings of literature modernism in China.The revolutionary application of cross-disciplinary cultural research method to analyze literature space production is different from traditional geographic and urban literature research. First, theoretical research on literature space is different from traditional geographic literature research. Under the influence of environmental determinism, traditional geographic literature research is focused on describing the linear relationship between literature and the space environment. It analyzes how literature reproduces geographic features, setting environment, and spectacle in specific geographic regions, thus it has been hard for it to delve into space production and the true content of literature space production is obscured. Second, the theoretical research on literature space is different from research on traditional urban literature. Research on traditional urban literature lacks in critical reflections of urban issues. It is focused on analysis of urban issues, and it over emphasizes how literature expression of experience is determined by the urban space. Therefore, it neglects the important role of literature in the construction of urban space---to give space political and cultural meanings. Theories on literature space is focused on how literature reshuffles space in terms of connotations in the process of cultural representational practices and thus uncover the interrelationships between literature space production and social space production by using such representational methods as expression, representation, imagination, metaphor and symbol. In all, the application of the interdisciplinary cultural research method to culturally and politically reflect on the relationships between literature and space is not only criticism of alienation caused by the domination of homogeneous space power, but also possibility of combating the repressive space, and thus transforming space and seeking for multiple differential space that is free and emancipatory.