Democratization under internationalization: Media reconstructions of gender identity in Shanghai

This article examines theories of democratization proposed for post‐socialist, internationalizing economies with special attention to contemporary China. It finds the field discursively and conceptually truncated into institutionalist, internationalist, and feminist concerns, thereby losing the rich insights that each may bring to the other. This analytical lacuna leaves intact a default agenda that is anti‐democratic, anti‐international, and anti‐female. As an alternative, this article draws on the interstices of domestic institutions, international context, and feminist concerns to formulate a hermeneutic for democratization. It highlights the crucial role of the media in designating the modern, liberal citizen. For a case study, this article refers to the most internationalizing city of the world's most populous economy ‐ Shanghai.