Human relationships, face, and the reproduction of power

Author: Zhai Xuewei
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-06-01
Features: Since the Chinese academic community has advocated localization and standardization, scholars have demanded more standardization than efforts toward localization, and the study of Chinese social phenomena, experiences, and issues still relies on externally applying, borrowing, and verifying various Western theories. Starting from the study of how Chinese people establish and operate relationships, the author explores the local perspectives, methods, concepts, and models of sociology and social psychology from multiple and comprehensive levels. The author also questions and challenges the tendency to compare and study Chinese society using binary opposition thinking and to construct theories of Chinese society. The author argues that only by starting from the operation processes of human feelings, face, and power, and paying attention to the coordination of factors such as personal authority, moral qualities, benefit exchanges, and blood ties, can the operational mechanisms and rules of Chinese society be revealed and relevant theoretical models be constructed.