Huey, Herbert
Description
The modernization of China is a perpetual problem
confronting Chinese politicians and intellectuals alike.
This problem involves the question of defining and
implementing changes in Chinese politics, economy and society.
Because of the diversity and disparity of these changes,
modernization is not easily achieved. This further raises
the important issue of the acceptance of changes in Chinese
society.
The 1920s was a period which held much promise for
modernization. However, Chinese...[Show more] political and economic
developments were limited in success. By focusing attention
on Shanghai, Tientsin and Hong Kong -- the three Chinese
cities at the forefront of modernization -- this thesis
shows that the conservative social attitudes at that time
increased the difficulty of social modernization. For that
matter, political and social institutions went against some
programmes of modernization by supporting these attitudes.
Urban Chinese society was still heavily impregnated
with the idea of running itself according to family and
moral values. The stress on these values was reflected by
the attitudes towards sex and law, which in turn affected
the organization, stability and control of private and
public lives. An analysis of some relevant cases, which
are gathered from several contemporary newspapers, indicates
that social attitudes towards marriage, divorce, the use of
law, and crime were expressive of these two dominant values.
Family and moral values also subjected Chinese individuals to the larger concern with social harmony and moral order.
As a result, much inequity and irrationality were
perpetuated against some individuals. This contradicted
one of the basic tenets of social modernization -- a
progressive outlook of the status of an individual vis-a-vis
society.
As a conclusion, this thesis argues that unless there
is a fundamental change in Chinese social attitudes,
modernization will be confined to the more tangible aspects
of political and economic changes. Moreover, the basic
response of Chinese society to any form of change is
conditioned by an adherence to traditions. The realization
of this attitudinal factor will enhance the chance for
modernization to succeed by lessening the iconoclastic
elements.
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