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Sociology in China

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Through China, Sociology and Economics

History

Since 1840, China's traditional self-sufficient feudal economy has been impacted by the modern economy represented by the West. The Westernization Movement and the subsequent development of national capitalism have made China's economy gradually modernized. The Kui Ge Group was born in the background of this era. Yunnan University established the Department of Sociology in 1938, and in 1939 it jointly established the Sociology Laboratory with Yenching University. Carry out sociological surveys. Because Kunming was bombed by Japanese planes in 1940, the sociology research office had to be evacuated to the countryside in Chenggong County near Kunming. They rented the local three-story Kuixing Ge 大古城魁阁as a work base, so this research room has since been called "Kui Ge". According to the research content, the main representative works of the Kui Ge period can be summarized as follows: Agriculture, "Lu Village Farmland", "Study on the Small Farmer Economy in Er Village"; other traditional industries, "Yi Village Handicraft Industry"; Commerce, "Yucun Land and "Business", "Kunchang Workers", "Gejiu Miners", "Inland Women Workers"; Minority Society, "The Pendulum in the Border Area of Mangshi"; Traditional Society, "Under the Shadow of the Ancestor: Chinese Culture and Personality"; Political Society, "Huacheng City Grassroots Administration" "Chenggong Grassroots Power Structure".

Chinese sociologists believe that the development of Chinese sociology to the present is the result of historical accumulation. From Xunzi's group studies, we can get an insight into the embryonic form of Chinese sociology. During the Warring States Period, the disciplines were divided into 16 disciplines, and the Chinese Social Degree was ranked as the fourth discipline. Xunzi is defined as the first sociologist in China. In 1940, some scholars suggested that China also has indigenous sociology.

Sociology became a subject of academic interest in China in the 1920s, and in 1947 sociologist Fei Xiaotong published a book, From the Soil, that sought to establish a framework for detailing Chinese society and its moral and ethics. A few years later, in 1949, the Communist Party established control of Mainland China, and by 1952 sociology was banned by communist authorities as a bourgeois pseudoscience, similar to what happened in other communist countries (see for example history of sociology in the Soviet Union or sociology in People's Republic of Poland). Existing sociologists were discriminated against during the Cultural Revolution and their works restricted. In 1979, Chinese communist leader Deng Xiaoping noted the need for more studies of the Chinese society and supported the reestablishment of the discipline. That year, in March, Chinese Sociological Association (CSA) was reestablished. Since then, sociology has been accepted as a useful tool for the state, and sociology graduates have often been employed in government institutions. Reestablishment of the field was also aided by the growing cooperation between Chinese and American sociologists. The American scholar Nan Lin's "The Next Step in the Sinicization of Sociology" mentioned that from the resumption of sociological research in mainland China after 1979, there are deviations and limitations in the construction of sociology in China today.

However, sociology suffered another setback in China after the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre. Sociology was seen as a politically sensitive discipline, and was replaced in the role of primary social science state adviser by economics. In recent years, with socio-economic policies such as the socialist harmonious society, sociology has been coming back to graces with Chinese policymakers.

1979–1988 was the initial stage of Chinese sociology. By the end of 1987, the study of the history of Chinese sociology had achieved important academic results, that is, the publication of two monographs on the history of Chinese sociology: Yang Yabin and Han Mingmo's work of the same name "History of Chinese Sociology". The period from 1989 to 1999 was the stage of contention in the study of the history of Chinese sociology. Entering the 21st century, Chinese sociology continues its strong development momentum, and research on the history of Chinese sociology is also constantly deepening. This is reflected in its research outputs, foremost among which is the continuous publication of academic monographs. The period from 1989 to 1999 was the stage of contention in the study of the history of Chinese sociology. After Han Mingmo published "The Historical Tradition of the Application of Chinese Sociology", three years later, Chen Shude published "Reflections on the History of Chinese Sociology", which put forward a different point of view from Han Mingmo on the stage and research scope of the history of Chinese sociology.

In 1993, Chen Shude's "Re-discussion of Several Questions in the Study of Chinese Sociological History-Answering Professor Han Mingmo's Criticisms and Questions" was published in "Sociological Research". One year later, Han Mingmo wrote: "The History of Chinese Sociology Is Not Equal to the History of the Spread and Development of Western Sociology in China-Three Discussions with Comrade Chen Shude". The history of communication and development can only be a unipolar academic standpoint based on Western sociology. It is a one-sided understanding that does not conform to historical facts. The development history of Chinese sociology should integrate Chinese social thoughts and cultural factors.

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