Half Digested Ideas
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Digital Civilization in the Making (part 3)
The culture-technology imaginary in China In the global imagination the idea of China is reflected in various ways. Outside the PRC, many see a rising economic superpower, a threat to western democracy. Others see a land of exquisite culture and art, traditional practices like kung fu, acupuncture and Tai Chi. Chinese products can be found… Continue reading
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Soft power, confirmation bias and illusions of grandeur
The term soft power is common in international relations but hardly familiar in suburbia, where it is easily confused with washing powder. Like one’s washing, soft power can fade. While the term has appeared in an enormous number of journal articles, book chapters and op-eds over the past three decades, mostly celebrating and comparing nations,… Continue reading
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The Two Cultures
The two cultures: what have we learned so far? In 1959, an English writer CP Snow instigated a fierce academic debate by arguing that scientists in the UK would benefit from a closer understanding of the work of their colleagues in the humanities, and vice versa. Snow believed that the technological age was dawning and… Continue reading
About Me
I am an independent scholar with a background in Chinese media and culture. I have authored or edited 20 books since 2001. These are listed under research.
Michael Keane 