Through interviews with city residents, Martin King Whyte and William L. Parish provide a unique survey of urban life in the last decade of Mao Zedong's rule. They conclude that changes in society produced under communism were truly revolutionary and that, in the decade under scrutiny, the Chinese avoided ostensibly universal evils of urbanism with considerable success. At the same time, however, they find that this successful effort spawned new and equally serious urban problems—bureaucratic rigidity, low production, and more.
After 1949 the Chinese Communists carried out land reform, the collectivization of agriculture, and the formation of people's communes. The new economic and political organizations that emerged have made peasant life more comfortable and secure, but many economic and status differentials and traditional customs remain resistant to change. Focusing on rural Kwangtung province, William L. Parish and Martin King Whyte examine the rural work-incentive system, village equality and inequality, rural health care and education, marriage customs, and the position of women, among other topics, to determine what and how much of the traditional Chinese ways of life is left in Communist China.
Through interviews with city residents, Martin King Whyte and William L. Parish provide a unique survey of urban life in the last decade of Mao Zedong's rule. They conclude that changes in society produced under communism were truly revolutionary and that, in the decade under scrutiny, the Chinese avoided ostensibly universal evils of urbanism with considerable success. At the same time, however, they find that this successful effort spawned new and equally serious urban problems—bureaucratic rigidity, low production, and more.
This text examines the Pacific War, the Korean War and the Vietnam War, from the perspective of those who fought the wars and lived through them. The relationship between history and memory informs the book, and each war is relocated in the historical and cultural experiences of Asian countries.
After 1949 the Chinese Communists carried out land reform, the collectivization of agriculture, and the formation of people's communes. The new economic and political organizations that emerged have made peasant life more comfortable and secure, but many economic and status differentials and traditional customs remain resistant to change. Focusing on rural Kwangtung province, William L. Parish and Martin King Whyte examine the rural work-incentive system, village equality and inequality, rural health care and education, marriage customs, and the position of women, among other topics, to determine what and how much of the traditional Chinese ways of life is left in Communist China.
This is the first undergraduate text on the politics of East Asia to be published since 1970. Looking at both domestic and international politics, the authors discuss the political systems of China, Japan, and Korea within the context of environmental factors, culture, society, the economy, geography, language, historical and political traditions, etc. The People’s Republic of China is presented as a country with strong traditions, committed to rapid development under frequently changing ideological auspices. Its two governmental apparatuses—the party and the bureaucracy—sometimes act in unison, sometimes are locked in fierce struggles, and often are motivated by differing ideologies and administrative dynamics. Japan is seen as a mature society and a developed economy with functioning democratic institutions and a strong party system, but, like the PRC, subject to powerful traditions and influenced by radical ideologies. Both North and South Korea are discussed, with a comparison and contrast of the authoritarian-democratic system in the South, where a basically democratic parliament finds itself in conflict with a quasi-dictatorial regime and an all-powerful president. The book is completely up to date. The section on China takes into account the major developments of the post-Mao period, including the accession of Hua Kuo-feng and the struggle against the Shanghai faction. The discussion of Japanese politics covers the 1976 elections, and the creation of the Shin Jiyu club in the developing thrust away from factional politics to an issue-oriented electorate.
Thank you for visiting our website. Would you like to provide feedback on how we could improve your experience?
This site does not use any third party cookies with one exception — it uses cookies from Google to deliver its services and to analyze traffic.Learn More.