The Labor of Reinvention: Entrepreneurship in the New Chinese Digital Economy

The rise of internet-based entrepreneurship in China has had a significant impact on society, reinforcing traditional Chinese ideas about state power, labor, gender, and identity. Lin Zhang's book explores how the everyday labor of entrepreneurial reinvention is remaking China, highlighting the empowerment and exploitation of digital entrepreneurs and laborers. It sheds new light on global capitalism and the digital economy from a non-Western perspective.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 312 pages
Publication date: 07 March 2023
Publisher: Columbia University Press

The rise of internet-based entrepreneurship has had a profound impact on every aspect of China, from start-up founders in the Chinese equivalent of Silicon Valley to rural villages experiencing an e-commerce boom to middle-class women reselling luxury goods. For many individuals, reinventing oneself as an entrepreneur has presented an attractive avenue to adapt to the changing economic and social landscape. However, the reality of digital entrepreneurship has also reinforced traditional Chinese notions about state power, labor, gender, and identity.

In her book, "The Labor of Reinvention," Lin Zhang delves into the intricate ways in which the everyday labor of entrepreneurial reinvention is reshaping China amidst evolving geopolitical currents. Through vivid storytelling, she presents a multifaceted and ground-level perspective of the twenty-first-century Chinese economy, encompassing individuals from diverse class, gender, and age backgrounds across rural, urban, and transnational settings. Zhang's exploration of the surge in digital entrepreneurialism takes place against the backdrop of global financial crises, the U.S.-China trade war, and the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting the complex interplay between these events and the evolving landscape of entrepreneurship in China.

One of the central themes of Zhang's book is the empowerment and exploitation of digital entrepreneurs and laborers. She argues that the rise of internet-based industries and practices has created a new class of entrepreneurs who have gained significant economic and social mobility. At the same time, these individuals have faced significant challenges, including high levels of stress, long working hours, and limited access to resources and support. Zhang explores how the contradictions of entrepreneurialism have played out in China, where the state has played a significant role in promoting entrepreneurship but has also sought to control and regulate the digital economy to ensure social stability and protect traditional industries.

Despite the challenges faced by digital entrepreneurs, state-led entrepreneurialization has provided a means for implementing developmental goals while retaining the importance of the traditional family. Zhang argues that the Chinese government has embraced high-tech innovation to drive economic growth and create new job opportunities, but it has also maintained a strong grip on the economy through policies that prioritize state control and the preservation of social hierarchies. This approach has generated new inequalities, with some digital entrepreneurs gaining significant wealth and power while others struggle to survive in a highly competitive market.

Through her analysis, Zhang sheds new light on global capitalism and the digital economy by centering a non-Western perspective. She highlights the ways in which the experiences of digital entrepreneurs in China are intertwined with broader global trends in entrepreneurship, technology, and labor. The book provides a valuable contribution to the study of entrepreneurship and economic development, offering a nuanced understanding of the challenges and opportunities faced by individuals and communities in the rapidly changing world of digital entrepreneurship.

In conclusion, "The Labor of Reinvention" by Lin Zhang is a thought-provoking and insightful book that delves into the complex dynamics of digital entrepreneurship in China. Through her vivid storytelling and comprehensive analysis, Zhang provides a valuable perspective on the empowerment and exploitation of digital entrepreneurs and laborers, the contradictions of entrepreneurialism, and the role of the state in shaping the digital economy. The book sheds new light on global capitalism and the digital economy by centering a non-Western perspective, offering a valuable contribution to the study of entrepreneurship and economic development.

Weight: 454g
Dimension: 183 x 512 x 23 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780231195317