Moralising Ancestors as Socio-moral Capital: A Study of a Transnational Chinese Lineage

2006 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 243-263
Author(s):  
Kuah-Pearce Khun Eng
Keyword(s):  
Rural China ◽  
Chinese Diaspora ◽  
Chinese Society ◽  
Open Door Policy ◽  
Ancestor Worship ◽  
Mainland Chinese ◽  
Rural Villages ◽  
Cultural Roots ◽  
Guanxi Networks ◽  
Chinese State

AbstractWithin the Chinese Diaspora, ancestor worship is an important cultural element that binds a group of people together and provides them with a sense of comfort, kinship and communal identity as they sink their cultural roots in a new country, luodi shenggen. Thus, ancestor worship is widely reproduced and practised by the Chinese in the Diaspora, as it is central to the Chinese understanding of the continuation of family and lineage. However, in Mainland Chinese villages, the practice of ancestor worship, which is still considered important by the villagers, was not allowed until the Open Door Policy in 1978. With this policy, emigrant villages, (qiaoxiang) embarked on an aggressive campaign to woo the Chinese in overseas communities to return to their native villages to help with economic development through various strategies. One of the strategies is to allow for the revival and practice of ancestor worship in the rural villages. This paper explores how ancestors continued to be regarded as important members of a transnational lineage in the Fujian Province in South China, and also in Singapore. Because of the central focus on ancestors and ancestor worship in the Chinese society, ancestors are moralised as a significant social capital by the Chinese State, local government and rural villagers, in an attempt to establish transnational guanxi linkages between the ancestral villages in rural China and their Diaspora members in Singapore. The Chinese State, with instrumental consideration, sees this transnational guanxi networks and the revival of ancestor worship as a strategy to encourage the Chinese Diaspora to visit their ancestral home and help with village development.

scholarly journals Early Childhood Reading in Rural China and Obstacles to Caregiver Investment in Young Children: A Mixed-Methods Analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 1457
Author(s):  
Rui Li ◽  
Nathan Rose ◽  
Yi Ming Zheng ◽  
Yunwei Chen ◽  
Sean Sylvia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Cognitive Development ◽  
Young Children ◽  
Parenting Practices ◽  
Rural China ◽  
Reading Practices ◽  
Rural Villages ◽  
Survey Results ◽  
Childhood Reading

Studies have shown that nearly half of rural toddlers in China have cognitive delays due to an absence of stimulating parenting practices, such as early childhood reading, during the critical first three years of life. However, few studies have examined the reasons behind these low levels of stimulating parenting, and no studies have sought to identify the factors that limit caregivers from providing effective early childhood reading practices (EECRP). This mixed-methods study investigates the perceptions, prevalence, and correlates of EECRP in rural China, as well as associations with child cognitive development. We use quantitative survey results from 1748 caregiver–child dyads across 100 rural villages/townships in northwestern China and field observation and interview data with 60 caregivers from these same sites. The quantitative results show significantly low rates of EECRP despite positive perceptions of early reading and positive associations between EECRP and cognitive development. The qualitative results suggest that low rates of EECRP in rural China are not due to the inability to access books, financial or time constraints, or the absence of aspirations. Rather, the low rate of book ownership and absence of reading to young children is driven by the insufficient and inaccurate knowledge of EECRP among caregivers, which leads to their delayed, misinformed reading decisions with their young children, ultimately contributing to developmental delays.

The many faces of suzhi in the Chinese organization and society

2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sean Upton-McLaughlin
Keyword(s):  
Chinese Culture ◽  
Mainland China ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Chinese Society ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mainland Chinese ◽  
Foreign Companies ◽  
Expatriate Managers ◽  
The Many ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper was to explore the Chinese concept of suzhi and how it relates to behavioral standards within mainland Chinese society and the workplace. The article provides a general discussion of suzhi and its inherent elements to act as a foundation for the education of expatriate managers and executives and for future research by Chinese human resource management (HRM) scholars. Design/methodology/approach – This paper draws on the author's first-hand experience and observations from five years of living and working abroad in mainland China with Chinese companies and executives. Findings – The concept of suzhi in China is a reflection of multiple behavioral standards throughout China. And while suzhi's roots are in ancient Chinese culture and Confucianism, it is also subject to influence and change. Practical implications – The paper may serve as a foundation both for expatriate managers seeking to improve HRM practices in foreign companies in China and future scholars who wish to conduct further research on suzhi and Chinese behavioral standards as they can be applied to the workplace. Originality/value – This is an attempt to enlighten expatriate managers and executives in China on the concept of suzhi and its implication for HRM in China.

The ‘reverse bamboo network’: Sociocultural dialectics of China’s FDI in housing (FDIH) in Iskandar Malaysia

Urban Studies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 57 (8) ◽  
pp. 1786-1802 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hasniyati Hamzah
Keyword(s):  
Urban Space ◽  
Direct Investment ◽  
Legal Framework ◽  
Chinese Diaspora ◽  
South East Asia ◽  
Economic Region ◽  
Mainland Chinese ◽  
Business Operations ◽  
Micro Level ◽  
Desk Research

The ‘bamboo network’ is used to conceptualise the investment flow into China from the Chinese diaspora, particularly those who resided in South-east Asia. However, global economic events have decimated the wealth of overseas Chinese whilst mainland Chinese businesses prospered, resulting in what is now reimagined as the ‘reverse bamboo network’. In Iskandar Malaysia (IM), which is a transnational economic region bordering Singapore, the foreign direct investment in housing (FDIH) from China has surpassed that of IM’s more prosperous neighbour Singapore, yet the interscalar interactions between market and actors in FDIH have yet to be unpacked. The aim of this paper is to examine how mainland Chinese developers operate within a bamboo network country by arguing that the similar socioculture helps in moderating institutionalised barriers, such as the unfamiliar legal framework and local personnel management. Framed by the ‘reverse bamboo network’ argument and underpinned by the sociocultural explanation, this paper explains the spatial and business transformations caused by FDIH from China. Data and information from desk research and fieldwork are used to construct macro-, meso- and micro-level dialectics in the paper. Ultimately, this paper argues that the sociocultural dialectic provides a complementary explanation of transnational shapers of the urban space in IM, and having political and cultural allies in the host country could tremendously improve business operations of international developers.

scholarly journals Land Consolidation in Rural China: Life Satisfaction among Resettlers and Its Determinants

Land ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 118
Author(s):  
Weiming Tong ◽  
Kevin Lo ◽  
Pingyu Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Industrial Development ◽  
Rural China ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Land Consolidation ◽  
Chinese Government ◽  
Rural Villages ◽  
Urban Rural ◽  
Rural Dwellers

The Chinese government has pursued rural land consolidation under the Building New Rural Communities (BNRC) initiative. The consolidation projects aim to address the hollowing village problem, improve the living standards of rural dwellers, and promote urban-rural integration. Rural villages with small populations and poor infrastructure are merged into a centralized rural community, and their inhabitants are resettled. The newly vacated buildings are then converted to agriculture land, which allows cities to expand under the “no net loss” land-use policy. Despite the significance of the initiative, both in terms of the scale of operation and the impacts on the affected households, there are few empirical studies that scrutinize this form of rural restructuring. Drawing on data collected via surveys and interviews, this paper examines the processes of land consolidation and its impacts on villagers. From a development-as-modernization perspective, we outline three main processes of land consolidation: village mergers and resettlement, land circulation to rural cooperatives, and rural industrial development. Overall, the effects of land consolidation on the livelihood of resettled villagers are positive. This system generally improves housing and living conditions through increased levels of off-farm employment and income, but there are a number of barriers that may hinder a villager’s ability to find different employment. Housing and neighborhood characteristics have significant effects on the life satisfaction of villagers.

Online citizenship learning of Chinese young adults

2021 ◽  
pp. 174619792199975
Author(s):  
Jun Fu
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Virtual Space ◽  
Constitutive Relationship ◽  
Chinese Society ◽  
Digital Citizenship ◽  
Online Participation ◽  
Mainland Chinese ◽  
Chinese Young Adults ◽  
Shared Commitment ◽  
Citizenship Learning

This paper explores the citizenship learning of Chinese young adults through examining their participation on Weibo (the biggest micro-blogging service in China). Interview data collected from 31 young mainland Chinese adults contained their reflections on their everyday online participation on Weibo. Using the theory of communities of practice, this paper describes the citizenship learning that occurred in the context of their online participation in two intersecting dimensions. One dimension is their learning of digital citizenship in the Weibo community, manifested in their understanding and grasp of language, values, attitudes and shared commitment in this virtual space. The other is their learning of Chinese citizenship which is embodied in their understanding of Chinese society arising from their reflections of their internet-mediated social participation. This paper brings new insights into the concept of citizenship exhibited in the everyday online participation of Chinese young people, and the mutually constitutive relationship between their learning of citizenship and the forging of new citizenship. The implications of this informal learning for the content and pedagogy of formal citizenship education is discussed.

Why has Macao attracted the world-record gaming revenue?

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos Siu Lam
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Revolution ◽  
Open Door ◽  
Open Door Policy ◽  
World Record ◽  
High Stakes ◽  
Mainland Chinese ◽  
The World ◽  
Chinese Psychology ◽  
Major Factors ◽  
To Receive

Macao, located on the southeast coast of China, is perfectly situated to receive patrons from China about thirty years after its open-door policy in 1978 when they have accumulated significant amounts of wealth. With its gaming liberalization and the supply of such mainland Chinese patrons, Macao has become the world’s gambling capital since 2007. This article aims to analyze the major factors leading to this dominant economic performance.   The experience of the mainland Chinese in the Cultural Revolution and the Era of the Gang of Four has motivated them to get rich quick to enjoy the material comforts that they have been deprived. Given that baccarat has a low house edge and is easy to play, many mainland Chinese like to play baccarat in Macao. Moreover, the interaction with the card afforded by baccarat, makes patrons feel that that they can control over the gambling outcome, and this fits the mainland Chinese psychology in their attempt to win much and quick with their high stakes.     On the other hand, casinos have trained croupiers to make their patrons stay longer, including being polite, identifying the emotional status of patrons, managing patrons’ emotions and regulating the croupiers’ own emotions. In this way, casinos in Macao not only can make patrons experience sovereignty while in control of the staff-client interactions, but also help Macao attract the world-record gaming revenue.

Translating the news in China: the evolution of Reference News and its future in a digital news landscape

2018 ◽  
Vol 168 (1) ◽  
pp. 140-152 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Chase
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Chinese Society ◽  
Mainland Chinese ◽  
News Reports ◽  
Digital Era ◽  
Digital News ◽  
The Future ◽  
Media Market

Reference News is a prominent, Mainland Chinese newspaper that, for many decades, has translated and published foreign language news reports for its sizable readership. Over the course of its long history, both as a result of government directives and in response to the changing nature of Chinese society, the newspaper has undergone successive transformations. This study charts these changes, documenting Reference News’ earlier roles as intra-party intelligence bulletin and as a tool of ideological inculcation before analysing the newspaper’s later struggles to adapt to a pluralised and commercialised media market. This article argues that the more recent challenges posed by the increasing popularity of digital sources of news information has meant that despite a robust strategy designed to embrace the opportunities of the digital era, the future of Reference News as a successful and influential publisher in the digital realm is by no means certain.

Place-making for the people: Socially engaged art in rural China

2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 244-269 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meiqin Wang
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Change ◽  
Rural China ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Place Making ◽  
Rural Villages ◽  
Grass Roots ◽  
Socially Engaged Art ◽  
Civic Spaces ◽  
The People ◽  
Intervention Community

In the past decade, socially engaged artistic practices have become a growing trend in China, embraced not only by contemporary art circles but also by broad intellectual communities. In this article, I explore this under-studied trend by looking at the practices of a number of art professionals who engage themselves with place-making in different rural villages against the backdrop of a rapidly declining countryside which has resulted from China’s top–down, GDP-driven urbanization and social development. Mainstream place-making, led by government in collaboration with private developers, has been primarily concerned with a good business environment in order to attract the highly mobile elite class or realize a quick return from speculative development. Place-making led by art professionals, on the contrary, aims to revitalize the deprived countryside through art and cultural activities, foster the growth of place-specific civic spaces, and accentuate the participation of local, grass-roots populations as well as the collaboration of urban intellectuals from various backgrounds. I argue that the efforts of these art professionals not only provide critical reflections and bottom–up alternatives to the dominant social developmental discourse, but also activate and expand the potential of art as an agent of social intervention, community building, and cultural change.

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