Education and Women: Women's Education and the Awakening of Educated Women: 1840-1921

Author: Qiao Suling
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-05-01
Features: Knowledge changes destiny. This book examines the modern transformation of Chinese women through the lens of education, revealing the special significance of education for women, and offering insights into fostering a harmonious and equal gender relationship. The "Modern and Contemporary China: Politics and Society" academic series is the final outcome of a "985" research project at Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, focusing on the relationship between political and social changes in modern China.
Politics is a broad and complex concept. This project adopts a broad definition of politics, expanding the research scope to include modern Chinese political thought, political institutions, international environment, foreign relations, as well as key political figures and major political events. By integrating politics and society, it explores the relationship between politics and the economy, the impact of politics on education and talent cultivation, the role of politics in social stability and progress, and politics in foreign relations. It also examines the social effects of the political attitudes and governance theories, policies, and methods of important figures. The study aims to conduct a multi-angle, multi-level analysis using political sociology theories and methods to explore the interactive relationship between politics and society. It measures and evaluates the correctness of political ideas, propositions, and the governance of political figures based on the stability, progress, development, and level of civilization of society. This is a new attempt.
Modern Chinese politics emerged within the political framework of a semi-colonial and semi-feudal society. On one side were capitalism, imperialism, and feudalism, along with bureaucratic capitalism, which held political control over China. On the other side were the vast patriotic and revolutionary masses, as well as intellectuals who pursued progress and kept pace with the times. These two sides represented the two social forces of China and reflected the two potential futures of modern China. Their political ideologies, thoughts, and proposals for reforming China constrained the development path of modern China. Modern Chinese politics is the central content and foundational background for examining the social transformation of modern China.
In contemporary China, political power is held by the broad masses of the people, with the state's power center being the central government led by the Communist Party of China. The state focuses its efforts on developing the economy, culture, and education, enabling China's society to develop rapidly. Previous research on modern Chinese history has achieved significant results and breakthroughs in various aspects, but there are also shortcomings. For example, the key hub controlling the social transformation of modern China—political change—has been studied insufficiently in terms of its social impact, and there is an urgent need for more research and higher standards. There is also a trend toward shifting research focus from various social aspects back to the center and an objective requirement to improve from specific studies to a holistic grasp.
Previous political history research emphasized class struggle and revolutionary movements, unidirectionally explaining the turmoil and instability caused by political change in society, and to some extent limited the expansion of the field and theoretical advancement of modern Chinese political history research. This project takes the interactive relationship between modern Chinese politics and social change as the basic starting point. Building on existing micro-studies, it establishes an innovative and era-specific macro-explanatory system, with the focus on expanding the research perspective and deepening the level of analysis. Through the combination of macro and micro research and the innovation of methods, the research level is elevated, and new paths are opened.
The history of modern Chinese politics is an important aspect of modern Chinese history research. Overall, past research has been characterized by both a large number of achievements and severe shortcomings, leaving considerable room for further development. Sun Yat-sen University has a strong tradition and advantage in the study of modern Chinese political thought, political institutions, political figures, and international relations. It leads the academic community in research on Sun Yat-sen and modern Chinese politics, adheres to academic norms, and has long fostered a spirit of seeking truth and collaboration in academic circles, demonstrating great potential in multiple areas.
The research on the "Modern and Contemporary China: Politics and Society" project involved senior professors and doctoral supervisors, postdoctoral researchers, and the rest are Ph.D. holders, forming a research team with a mix of experience levels. Each member conducted new explorations based on their interests and research findings. Many of the works presented here were their doctoral theses, which received excellent evaluations from their dissertation committees and were published only after repeated revisions. They have conducted specialized research on the relationship between modern Chinese politics and society from different perspectives, each with unique characteristics and strengths, demonstrating foresight and academic rigor.
The "Modern and Contemporary China: Politics and Society" academic series presented to the readers is the fruit of their hard work. It is hoped that these achievements will help people understand the relationship between politics and social change from new angles and provide inspiration. Of course, we also expect criticism and guidance from readers and the academic community.