Understanding Chinese society

Understanding Chinese society

• Pre-class discussion: Cultural shock in Shanghai

Spitting, Politesse (in china is about trusting), …  etc  

Ethnocentrism: practice of judging another culture by the standards of one’s own culture.

• ETNHOGRAPHY

Qualitative research method often used in social sciences, anthropology and socio

• Often employed for gathering empirical data on human societies/ cultures
• Data collection often done through participant obs, interviews, questionnaires
• It aims to describe the nature of those who are studies through writing

Insider vs. Outsider

Pay attention to the local terms

Understqnding Contemporary Chinese society  1978 : Post Mao period begun with 13th National Congress of CCP, was born Contemporary Chinese society

China is undergoing classic modernization, defined by social processes (indus, urb, mass education, commercialization, advance techno ..ect)

• 3 themes to understand contemporary Chinese society

1. Multiplicity, diversity, stratification

Non homogenous, diversity of Chinese identities, cultures and experiences – ethnic, lifestyle

Differences and ≠ between groups and individuals – regional, class, gender

1. Historical and compa perspectives

Both ongoing change and the presence of past in today’s Chinese soc

A east-vwest dichotomy framework is less useful

1. Drivers of social change

Structural forces/ major actors behind the social change (state policy, collective action, globalization)

• The rise of China studies

1. China : object of china studies

• The “otherness” of china
• Before 1978 : limited access – interviewing Chinese immigrants
• After 1978

1. Significance of “Chinese experiences”

Eco miracle and great transfo that have drawn

• 2 major paradigms

1. Impact – Reactiom Model : mostly in History (pre 1949)

Tradition (confucianism) and modernity (resultof impact of West) is mutually exclusive

1. State – Society Model : tension between the state and the society(post 1949)

Conflict Model : stqte’s “top_down” control and societ’s “bottom-up” resistance

Interaction :odel, coexistence of state and society that compromise

• A possible China-centered approach

Paul COHEN, Discovering history in China 1984

Study of Chinese pb should be located into the social and historical context of China – Reject external version of Chinese history

...