Description
Scitus Academics LLC Social Transformation and Chinese Experience by Alkiviadis Floros
Social scientists have long regarded value change as central to
modernization, and have paid considerable attention to the association
between societal modernization and the adoption of individualistic values.
China exhibits a novel mix of economic dynamism, social modernization
and the political structures of one-party state run by a Communist Party. The
far-reaching developments in the economic and societal spheres have,
however, left their marks on the party-state. They brought about complex
processes of change and adaptation in the ways political power is
constituted and employed. Mainland China has undergone profound
changes dating back to the nineteenth century, including a contemporary
period of rapid modernization that began in the 1980s. The result has been
dramatic social, cultural, and economic shifts impacting the daily lives of
Chinese people. This compendium explores the psychological implications
of sociocultural transformation in China, emphasizing dominant themes.
Several theories across the social sciences have addressed the impact of
rapid sociocultural change on values and personality characteristics. The
concept of individual modernity is proposed, arguing that a particular set of
psychological characteristics, including attitudes, values, and ways of
feeling and thinking, prepare a person to be an effective member of a
modern society. From this perspective, a modern person is a highly
autonomous, open-minded, motivated, and flexible—and, importantly, is an
informed participant in society with a clear sense of personal efficacy.
Social Transformation and Chinese Experience presents original research
studies that addresses theoretical, methodological, or substantive issues of
sociological significance about or related to social transformations in
Chinese societies. The text draws links between sociocultural and
psychological shifts in China can be usefully studied through a cultural
psychology lens, emphasizing the mutual constitution of culture, mind, and
brain. In particular, the link between social change, individualism, and
rising mental illness deserves careful attention. The literature generally
underscores the negative consequences of migrant worker status within
China. Some studies have reported increased psychological distress in
migrant workers, and such findings are often discussed in the context of
migration stress, marginalization, and discrimination.