1st Edition

Sociology and the Great Transformation of China

By Li Peilin Copyright 2026
306 Pages 11 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

306 Pages 11 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

This book provides a comprehensive overview of the emergence and development of sociological thought in China since the late Qing dynasty, addressing the fundamental question of how to understand Chinese society and experience. It offers a concise yet thorough account of the major schools and movements in Chinese sociology, spotlighting influential figures, key ideas, and historical contexts.... Read more

1. Introduction: Sociology and Chinese Experience  Part I The Spread of Western Learning to the East and the Beginning of Chinese Sociology  2. Enlightenment and the Spread of Western Learning to the East: The Beginning of Sociology  3. Social Evolution: Evolution of Heaven Reform and Strengthening Community  4. Modernization: Reform and Institutional Change  Part II Chinese Sociology in the First Half of the 20th Century  5. Historical Materialism Sociology  6. Rural Reconstruction and the Social Survey Movement  7. The Chinese School of Sociology 8. The Institutional School of Chinese Sociology 9. Social History Research  Part III A Century of Great Transformation in Traditional China  10. The Basic Characteristics of Traditional Chinese Society  11. A Century of Change in China 12. The Chinese Experience of Reform and Development  Part IV Social Transformation in Contemporary China  13. Social Structural Change and Harmonious Stability  14. Livelihood Improvement and Social Construction  15. Urbanization and China's New Growth Stage  16. Toward a Quality-of-Life-Oriented Stage  17. Changes in the Class Structure of Contemporary China

Biography

Li Peilin, Ph.D., is a research fellow and Vice Chairman of the Social Development Affairs Committee of the 13th National People’s Congress. He formerly served as Vice President and Academic Member of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), and is a foreign member of the Russian Academy of Sciences. His primary research interests include development sociology, organizational sociology, and industrial sociology.