A Sociology Of Modern China

Jean-Louis Rocca's admirably concise A Sociology of Modern China wears its scholarship lightly and paints an intimate and complex portrait of Chinese society, all the while avoiding clichés and simplifications. He delves into China's history and examines the country's many different social strata so as to better understand the enormous challenges and opportunities with which its people are confronted. After discussing the long march toward reform and the crises along the way - among them the 1989 protests which culminated in the events in Tiananmen Square and elsewhere - Rocca dedicates the second half of the book to the major questions facing the country (or, at the very least, its political elites) today: new forms of social stratification; the interaction between the market and the state; growing individualism; and the pressures exerted by social conflict and political change. In eschewing culturalist visions, Rocca thoroughly and successfully deconstructs received wisdom about Chinese society to reveal a thriving nation and its people.

What is the social structure of Chinese society in the 21st century? How should China address the problem of migrant workers? How can China form a modern society? These key sociological issues are some of the topics this book covers. This book is a collection of the research articles and lectures that Dr. Lu Xueyi, the former Head of the Institute of Sociology at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, has published since the 1980s. The author discusses the social structure, social stratification, social construction, and development of contemporary Chinese society. Arguing that the gap between economic and social development has become the major social issue facing modern China, the author advocates paying close attention to the country’s social structure and the growth of the middle class. The book will be of interest to all scholars and students of Sociology and Chinese Studies.

This book is a study of a topic that is both extremely important and highly sensitive: how the Chinese have viewed other ethnic groups across time. The issue of racial differences constitutes a highly marked and oblique discourse in modern China. This is the first book to analyse that shielded rhetoric directly.

From civil war to Japanese occupation and communist revolution to market transition, China has undergone and continues to experience enormous economic, political, and social change. In Remaking Families in Contemporary China, Xiaoying Qi explores a number of emerging family practices in China today that result from these ongoing changes. Drawing upon 178 in-depth interviews with young adults, married adults, and grandparents throughout China, she finds that ordinary people are transforming their patterns of behavior and expectations in dealing with a changing world, and in so doing, remaking their families. Filling a gap in the current research, Qi investigates novel aspects of family life, such as the practice of providing a child with its mother's surname rather than its father's in an intriguing exercise of veiled patriarchy. She also identifies a new category of floating grandparents, which consists of rural and small-town grandparents who join their adult children in the massive labor migration that characterizes the modern Chinese workforce in order to provide childcare. In addition, Qi examines other often overlooked topics, including spousal intimacy, divorce, and remarriage and co-habitation in later life. Offering new insights and theoretical developments, Remaking Families in Contemporary China highlights why family-related themes are important to understanding the nature of Chinese society, the forces that underpin social relationships more broadly, and the basis and nature of social change around the world.

China's rapid economic growth, modernization and globalization have led to astounding social changes. Contemporary China provides a fascinating portrayal of society and social change in the contemporary People's Republic of China. This book introduces readers to key sociological perspectives, themes and debates about Chinese society. It explores topics such as family life, citizenship, gender, ethnicity, labour, religion, education, class and rural/urban inequalities. It considers China's imperial past, the social and institutional legacies of the Maoist era, and the momentous forces shaping it in the present. It also emphasises diversity and multiplicity, encouraging readers to consider new perspectives and rethink Western stereotypes about China and its people. Real-life case studies illustrate the key features of social relations and change in China. Definitions of key terms, discussion questions and lists of further reading help consolidate learning. Including full-colour maps and photographs, this book offers remarkable insight into Chinese society and social change.

First published in 1979. Sociology flourished in China during the 1930s and 1940s but with the establishment of the People's Republic of China, controversies arose over the place of sociology in the process of socialist construction. Siu-lun Wong analyses the reasons for this change in the fortune of sociological studies in China and examines it in relation to the country's contemporary political system.

Charts Western influence and national development. Beginning with the mid-19th century, when China encountered the West and began to enter the modern age, this encyclopedia offers an overview of the world's largest and most populous nation. The coverage includes not only major political topics, but also surveys the arts, business, literature, education, journalism, and all other major aspects of the nation's social, cultural, and economic life. The encyclopedia also offers significant material on such often neglected subjects as women and minorities, modern drama, Sino-French War, the federalist movement, overseas Chinese, Mongolian independence, and more. Special emphasis throughout is on the dramatic changes that have taken place in the country since the end of World War II. Provides an overview of the modern era. The entries are written by China specialists, who are thoroughly familiar with every aspect of the nation and its peoples. While history predominates, the articles cover all academic fields and include considerable material on recent decades as well as on earlier periods. There are entries on national political leaders and key thinkers, major events and trends in the nation's history, institutions, organizations, and currents of thought that led to the emergence of the modern nation. The encyclopedia's longer essays offer detailed and insightful surveys of censorship, important eras, literary movements, powerful social groups, anti-imperialism campaigns, Five Year Plans, the Sino-Vietnamese War, economic breakthroughs, and other vital topics. The coverage is informed by a thorough exploration of the historical role of Chinese nationalism, a potent force that was shaped by the need to retain national unity and independence under foreign assault.

Calling for more cooperation between China and the west, this new book by noted author and educator Cary Krosinsky provides readers with an on-the-ground perspective of what’s really happening in China today on the back of its recent economic rise, its desire and need to solve environmental challenges and the new positive dynamic created by its need for foreign capital. In doing so, Krosinsky and his colleagues from the Sustainable Finance Institute and Brown University highlight how China has recaptured its role as a leader in innovation, arguing that current approaches to the relationship hinder global progress on issues such as climate change, inequality, air pollution, food integrity and water security and pushes back on confrontational approaches and attempts to clarify misperceptions about contemporary China. China’s recent rise includes becoming a global leader on green policy and green finance, as it is increasingly leading the way towards modernization through innovation strategies focused on infrastructure, education, healthcare and aspects of clean energy technology, leading to opportunities across private equity, venture capital and green bonds. This creates an exciting opportunity for positive change, with environmental challenges becoming more salient to its own population, adding pressure on the government to provide solutions. China changes faster than any country in the world, creating an opportunity for meaningful, ongoing, positive transitions. Modern China is a call for more cooperation, and makes a clear, cogent case for collaboration in the face of current confrontational approaches. At the same time, dire environmental and social circumstances require an all-hands-on-deck approach. This book provides specific examples of what’s working and what’s needed to compete and thrive in this new paradigm through trusted relationships placed front and center for the future of economies and the betterment of global society.