Transformation and Disruption: Changes in China's Social Structure Since Reform

Author: Sun Liping
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-07-01
Features: This book collects 13 articles published by the author since the 1990s. These essays, from a unique sociological perspective, systematically analyze a series of changes in Chinese social life over the 20 years of reform and opening-up. The articles point out that the most significant and striking aspect of Chinese social change since the reform has been the dramatic, continuous, and profound transformation of the structure. The author uses the concept of "transformation and rupture" to describe the current phenomena and their underlying causes, demonstrating that Chinese society after the 1990s is a society with its own characteristics, different from the past. From economic, historical, and comparative perspectives, it interprets the relationship between the state, civilian ruling elites, and the masses, as well as contemporary issues in China that urgently need clarification, such as the mobility of rural migrants, social stability, and market transformation. The intended readers of this book are sociology teachers, students, and researchers, as well as individuals interested in Chinese society.