Seeking suzhi through Modernization and Development

Abstract

The Chinese term suzhi is generally translated into English as “quality,” but in fact, the English language does not have a single word that adequately conveys the type of “quality” to which the term suzhi refers. Suzhi refers specifically to the quality of the human, as opposed to the quality of a material, system, or an idea. The evaluation of “human quality” takes into account seemingly countless individual qualities of a person, including one’s physical health and appearance, psychological health, intellect, mannerisms, socio-economic status, and so on. The nuanced criteria under the umbrella of suzhi-evaluation render the term difficult to explain even by the Chinese citizens themselves. This thesis explores the concept of suzhi as it has been presented in government discourse over the course of the last 40 years of reform. Providing a somewhat chronological history of major developmental policies, the thesis illustrates the manner in which top-down policy framing of suzhi imbues it with new meaning in the imaginations of average citizens as they navigate a rapidly modernizing and internationalizing China.