jismart2024002: ‘Civilised Life’ in Filial Exemplars Pocket Park in Chongqing, China

Abstract

How can a city be rendered civilised? Prevailing scholarship on this matter frequently embraces a political-economic stance, centring on the roles of the state and capital. In contrast, this study adopts an ethnomethodological approach, utilising the example of the pocket park for the new 24 Filial Exemplars within greening and beautification project for sloping hills and cliffs in Chongqing main city as a case study. It argues that while the government may impose a generic civilizational significance on urban public spaces, the specific cultural symbolism of space is shaped by its public usage. The paper demonstrates two key points: Firstly, the civility of the filial exemplars pocket park is not uniform, but rather tied to the public’s use and the ideals of greenery and fitness for healthy living. Secondly, pocket parks in mountainous urban areas function as both fixed locales and connectors between spaces, thereby facilitating the cohesive ecological landscape and civilised life within urban settings. By adopting a micro-level perspective, this paper sheds light on the nuances of contemporary civilizational development in mountainous urban locales, offering sociological insights for urban researchers and governance practitioners.