An Introduction to Chinese Sociology

This book starts with a description of the development of Chinese sociology since its re-establishment in 1979, and links it to the broad historical contexts of China's economic transitions. It then moves on to provide an introduction to Chinese sociological thinking, including the main theories and theoretical debates, empirical findings in selected areas, and some key ongoing projects and research issues.

Finally, in a historical section, the book documents a long history of modern sociology imported to China from the West since the early twentieth century, and the tension between indigenization and internationalization that contemporary Chinese sociologists continue to face. Statistical information about schools and research institutes, sociology journals and publication themes, research grants, number of students enrolled and job placement, etc is also provided.

Readers of this book would be able to gain an overview of sociology both as a discipline and as a profession in China.

Xiaogang Wu now teaches sociology of China at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. As an undergraduate student in the first cohort of sociology program at Renmin University and later a graduate student in sociology at Beijing University, he learned sociology in China and polished his professional qualifications in the United States. He grew up with Chinese sociology and could not be more appropriate person to write on the development of Chinese sociology from both internal and external points of view.