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Chen  \nShaanxi Normal University, China  \nAbstract  \nIn this memoir, I accounted several episodes of my childhood of a middle class family in early 1990s in a Chinese urban city. Two major discourses permeated my account: the nationalism and socialism discourse and the upward social mobility discourse. While my family and I cherish the comfort and joy of everyday life enjoyed in the era of “socialism with Chinese characteristics”, the suffering past is like a ghost, peeking out behind the curtain.  \nLei Chen: Upon finishing my PhD at School of Education, University of Delaware, USA in 2017, I proudly joined Shannxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, P. R. China. My current work focuses on teacher training in both B.A. and M.A. programs. I teach a number of classes in second language teaching, second language acquisition, applied linguistics and social linguistics. I am interested in understanding teaching and teachers from sociocultural perspective and was drawn to the studies of dialogic pedagogy in second language classes.  \n􀀡􀀡􀀢  \nI was born in 1987, in a middle-class family1 in Wuhan, a populated city along Yantze river in China, about 9 years after the “reform and open” policy2 (改革开放) . My childhood memory was marked by socialist songs and stories of child heroes in battles against Japanese invaders during the WWII. And I also remember vividly the desire for a pink dress branded by Disney3 , and endless late night study hours for school exams. Therefore, I think my childhood memory can be characterized by a phrase often used in Chinese media, socialism with Chinese characteristics4 (中国特色的社会主义) .  \nI am quite aware that the stories I told was from the perspective of a middle class family in a populated city as poverty still exists in rural areas in China. There is also a saying that since China develops so fast, every five years, China witnessed a new generation. Thus, I belong to the post-85 generation.5 My  \n1 In Chinese political discourse, the concept of middle class is termed as xiao kang, (小康)， moderately prosperous or basically “welloff”. I classified myself as “middle class” since my father has a college degree and a professional job. Please refer to [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moderately_prosperous_society](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moderately_prosperous_society for more)[ for more](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moderately_prosperous_society for more) information.  \n2 The Chinese economic reform (literally, “reform and opening-up”), led by Deng Xiaoping, refers to the program of economic reforms in China that was started in December 1978. The economic reform introduced market principles by decollectivization of agriculture, privatization and contracting out of much state-owned industry and the lifting of price controls as well as other policies. The reform successfully led to unprecedented growth and elimination of poverty in urban China as well as drastically increased living standards in rural China.  \n3 With the “reform and open” policy, China started to import and translate Disney movies since 1981.  \n4 Officially, China is a socialist country rather than “post-socialist”. The political and economic reform gave the socialism some “Chinese characteristics”.  \n5 Born after 1985 and before 1990.  \nDialogic Pedagogy: An International Online Journal | [http://dpj.pitt.edu](http://dpj.pitt.edu)  \n[DOI: 10.5195/dpj](DOI: 10.5195/dpj).2018.243 | Vol. 6 (2018)  \nSC40  \nMemoirs of a socialist childhood in China: socialism, nationalism and getting ahead  \nLei Chen  \ngeneration is different from post-80 generation or post-90 generation. Post-80 generations might have some memories of living in courtyard homes and shared bathrooms with extended families. Post-90 generations would remember themselves living in apartment buildings with elevators. Post-85 remember the transition from the former to the ","cbCaip60iKL92gdl","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaip60iKL92gdl","pdf",219584,"English","# Abstract\n## Childhood episodes in early-1990s urban China\n## Two permeating discourses: socialism-nationalism and mobility\n## Education as a path to “getting ahead”\n## Tensions and mergers between loyalty and advancement","[{\"question\":\"What two major discourses shape the memoir’s childhood account?\",\"answer\":\"The memoir highlights a nationalism-socialism discourse emphasizing loyalty to the nation and the Party, and an upward social mobility discourse focused on comfort, joy, and advancement through education.\"},{\"question\":\"How does education function in the narrator’s idea of “getting ahead”?\",\"answer\":\"Education is portrayed as the key route to securing a comfortable future, influenced by beliefs that learning brings economic and life benefits.\"},{\"question\":\"What kinds of conflicts appear between the two discourses?\",\"answer\":\"At times they merge—such as achieving opportunities through loyalty-related competitions—but in other moments they conflict, like restricting after-class activities to prioritize intense exam study.\"}]","Memoirs of a Socialist Childhood in China - Socialism, Nationalism and Getting Ahead | PDF",1792091502,14]