Chinese Visions of Family and State, 1915-1953 / Edition 1

by Susan L. Glosser, Linda Kerber

Overview

At the dawn of the twentieth century, China's sovereignty was fragile at best. In the face of international pressure and domestic upheaval, young urban radicals—desperate for reforms that would save their nation—clamored for change, championing Western-inspired family reform and promoting free marriage choice and economic and emotional independence. But what came to be known as the New Culture Movement had the unwitting effect of fostering totalitarianism. In this wide-reaching, engrossing book, Susan Glosser examines how the link between family order and national salvation affected state-building and explores its lasting consequences.

Glosser effectively argues that the replacement of the authoritarian, patriarchal, extended family structure with an egalitarian, conjugal family was a way for the nation to preserve crucial elements of its traditional culture. Her comprehensive research shows that in the end, family reform paved the way for the Chinese Communist Party to establish a deeply intrusive state that undermined the legitimacy of individual rights.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780520227293
Publisher:	University of California Press
Publication date:	02/12/2003
Series:	Asia: Local Studies / Global Themes , #5
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	298
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.00(d)
Lexile:	1390L (what's this?)

About the Author

Susan L. Glosser is Associate Professor of History at Lewis & Clark College.