Family and Society

Author: Huang Kuan-chong / Liu Cheng-gui (editors)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-04-01
Features: The family is the basic structure of traditional Chinese society, and the study of family history is an important topic in the research of Chinese social history. These topics cover a wide range of areas. Broadly speaking, they can be understood from three perspectives: structure, function, and development.
From the perspective of structural research, family history encompasses three levels: the family, the clan, and the lineage. Issues such as the size, scale, form, kinship relationships and ethics, internal cohesion, external dependencies, and interpersonal relationships of the family all fall under this category.
From the perspective of functional research, the focus of family history lies in the roles played by social groups formed by families in different historical stages of society. This includes the relationship between families and the state, social activities, and their economic functions.
From the perspective of developmental research, topics such as the branching and distribution of family branches, the ups and downs of family continuity, the reasons for their rise and decline, development strategies, family traditions and customs, and interactions between different families are all themes of family history research.