Fangyu Qing
Three “Last Mile” Theses
by Fangyu Qing
Last Mile Blog Series 1: The Last Political Mile: “The Last Mile” as a Metaphor
Last Mile Blog Series 2: The Last Mile as Space? A Review of Ashish Rajadyahksha’s Inquiry into Technology and Governance in India
Last Mile Blog Series 3: The Last Mile in Ambiguity
This is the final entry of my #LastMile blog series for the Digital Narratives Studio. In this entry, I can't promise complete clarity, as many of the ideas here are based on an inquiry of speculation, and there are still many unresolved questions. In the previous three blog posts, I introduced the term “last mile” as a way to frame the agency of actors in the “central-periphery” power dynamics. I argued that in any society, there are frictions, spaces, and gaps between actors with varying levels of power. The most significant of these gaps is called “the last mile space”, which exists between the most powerful and the rest — in the case of China, that would be the state/government and everyone outside of it.
In the earlier entry, I discussed one key feature of this last mile: its ambiguity. I emphasized that this ambiguity is present across different political systems. It will be especially pronounced in China, where the central government has overwhelming dominance. The long history of granting local discretion has also enhanced its pragmatic problem-solving approach and multi-layered governance structure.
Photo by Flicker (Barry Dale Gilfry, @foto_graffiti)
Three Theses of The Last Mile
The ambiguity, as a fundamental characteristic, gives rise to several features of the “last mile.” First, due to its ambiguous nature, the norms within the last mile space can only be grasped through experience, rather than being explicitly taught through written text. These cultural norms, much like the chivalric spirits found in novels, are difficult to distill into clear rules. Only through embodied experiences can one come to fully understand them.
Secondly, the last mile space is inherently unpredictable. On one hand, its ambiguity allows powerful actors to extend their control, closing the gaps that represent the last mile or altering its nature entirely. On the other hand, fragile and precarious social structures can cause this gap to collapse. From a different perspective, the gap can also enlarge when the social structure transformed, depending on the place, social segment, or historical period.
Finally, the last mile space is fragile and prone to collapse. This fragility stems from the instability of modern social norms, particularly in countries that are late comers to the Industrial Revolution. These societies face the sweeping transformation of modern or post-modern forces, reshaping civilization in every aspect—political, economic, cultural, and technological. It is impossible to find a last mile that has remained stable from ancient times to the present, just as it is impossible to create a brand-new last mile from the ashes, uninfluenced by geopolitical relationships, traditional cultures, or long-held beliefs.
An Epilogue
While cities have become home to most people, they are by no means the natural spaces where last mile practices take place. Most of these practices are invisible, boundless, and difficult to capture or fully comprehend. To help explore this space, I’ve outlined a few questions. I believe the answers to these questions can help define the contents of the last mile: Within the city, what are the relationships between the various actors, and how do they interact with the state? How do they understand each other’s roles? How do they resolve conflicts? How do they forge new social relationships and establish social rules? In different eras, who are the new actors rising, and which are the ones retreating or fading into the background? Furthermore, what social norms have collapsed or been altered as a result?
Although the last mile space could be interpreted differently across regions and cultures, social actors have their expectations and interactions with what counts as the last mile. I believe that people's expectation of a common good is the common ground on which we stand when considering how the "last mile space" should be theorized. My blog series on the last mile issue comes to a temporary end here. Next, I will approach this topic in a different format. If you are also interested in this issue, feel free to contact me via the my email (fangyuqing@link.cuhk.edu.hk).