Latency and Prolongation: The Growth Process of Contemporary North China Village Families

Author: Tang Jun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2001-09-01
Features: In traditional Chinese society, the family is indeed a fundamental structural unit. For the state, it forms an in-depth form of governance; for the masses, it constitutes a widespread form of social fabric. Therefore, from the Shang and Zhou dynasties to the Republic of China, although the power of the family was often suppressed, the concept and organizational structure of the family persisted for over three thousand years. After the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, although formalized family organizations were almost completely eradicated, informalized family structures continued their process of growth and development. It is evident that a social unit with such resilient vitality must possess characteristics that align with the structure of Chinese society. Clarifying its growth trajectory undoubtedly helps deepen our understanding of the structural transformation of Chinese society from a new perspective. As a result of sociological field research, this paper, based on field investigations in Xi County, Hebei Province, focuses on the examination of the large family—the Yun family in the village. By analyzing major social life events closely related to the village community and the family since 1949, it describes and explains the content and characteristics of family actions and their practical role in the family, further summarizing the growth process and significance of the family against the backdrop of contemporary Chinese social changes—composed of economic development, political movements, and cultural reforms, creating a profound and turbulent transformation.