An Introduction to Chinese Culture through the Family covers a central element of Chinese culture, the idea of family, or jia. Written for both beginners and specialists, this book considers the role of family--literally, metaphorically, and as an organizing principle--in the creation of the Chinese worldview. Individual chapters explore philosophy, art, language, music, folk literature, fiction, architecture, film, and women and gender.
Chen (management, Chinese University of Hong Kong and Imperial College of Science, Technology, and Medicine--England) offers Western managers advice on navigating the Chinese business world. He explains the cultural and social principles underlying Chinese business organizations and their dynamics, illustrating his analyses with examples drawn from Asian and North American businesses. Communication patterns, networking, negotiation, competition, and the structure of China's transition economy are all discussed. Annotation copyrighted by Book News Inc., Portland, OR
This is an anthropological exploration of the roots of China's modernity in the country's own tradition, as seen especially in economic and kinship patterns.
Come along on a trip to discover Chinese culture! You'll learn about family, religion, celebrations, music, and more. You'll discover how Chinatowns came to be, and how today's lively neighborhoods are home to culture and traditions more than 2,000 years old. Learn more about how North American Chinatowns were established, and why these proud, lively, and vital communities still thrive.
Yan Zhitui (531–590s) was a courtier and cultural luminary who lived a colourful life during one of the most chaotic periods, known as the Northern and Southern Dynasties, in Chinese history. Beginning his career in the southern Liang court, he was taken captive to the north after the Liang capital fell, and served several northern dynasties. Today he remains one of the best-known medieval writers for his book-length “family instructions” (jiaxun), the earliest surviving and the most influential of its kind. Completed in his last years, the work resembles a long letter addressed to his sons, in which he discusses a wide range of topics from family relations and remarriage to religious faith, philology, cultural arts, and codes of conduct in public and private life. It is filled with vivid details of contemporary social life, and with the author’s keen observations of the mores of north and south China. This is a new, complete translation into English, with critical notes and introduction, and based on recent scholarship, of Yan Zhitui’s Family Instructions, and of all of his extant literary works, including his self-annotated poetic autobiography and a never-before-translated fragmentary rhapsody, as well as of his biographies in dynastic histories.
Told with beauty and grace, this Cinderella story from Ai-Ling Louie is brought vividly to life by Caldecott Medal-winner Ed Young’s soft, glowing illustrations. Half-starved and overworked by her stepmother, Yeh-Shen’s only friend is a fish with golden eyes. When the stepmother kills the fish for dinner, poor Yeh-Shen is left with only the bones. But the bones are filled with a powerful spirit. When Ye-Shen is forbidden to attend the annual spring Festival, the spirit grants her a gown of azure blue and delicate golden slippers. That night, everyone marvels at the beautiful, mysterious young woman at the ball. “Misty, jewel-like illustrations evoke the mythic past in this Chinese Cinderella story.” —Publishers Weekly
"DeFrancis's book is first rate. It entertains. It teaches. It demystifies. It counteracts popular ignorance as well as sophisticated (cocktail party) ignorance. Who could ask for anything more? There is no other book like it. ... It is one of a kind, a first, and I would not only buy it but I would recommend it to friends and colleagues, many of whom are visiting China now and are adding 'two-week-expert' ignorance to the two kinds that existed before. This is a book for everyone." --Joshua A. Fishman, research professor of social sciences, Yeshiva University, New York "Professor De Francis has produced a work of great effectiveness that should appeal to a wide-ranging audience. It is at once instructive and entertaining. While being delighted by the flair of his novel approach, the reader will also be led to ponder on some of the most fundamental problems concerning the relations between written languages and spoken languages. Specifically, he will be served a variety of information on the languages of East Asia, not as dry pedantic facts, but as appealing tidbits that whet the intellectual appetite. The expert will find much to reflect on in this book, for Professor DeFrancis takes nothing for granted." --William S.Y. Wang, professor of linguistics, University of California at Berkeley
Promoting cultural understanding in a globalized world, this text is a key tool for students interested in understanding the fundamentals of Chinese culture. Written by a team of experts in their fields, it offers a comprehensive and detailed introduction to Chinese culture and addresses the fundamentals of Chinese cultural and social development. It notably considers Chinese traditional culture, medicine, arts and crafts, folk customs, rituals and etiquette, and is a key read for scholars and students in Chinese Culture, History and Language.
In recent years, interest in research on Chinese culture and psychology has increased rapidly. However, most research paradigms based on samples from Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic (WEIRD) societies, including theories, methods, and research procedures, may become maladaptive or “weird” once moved to other societies. Thus, we aim to focus on this emergent movement of scholars working on the dialogue and interaction between Chinese culture and psychology to explore the most contemporary modes of Chinese philosophical, religious, and spiritual thoughts and practices, emphasizing their significant application to current psychological research. Taking an eclectic approach to study on human values, health, and well-being, this Research Topic hopes to publish original research articles that deal with mental and physical health issues by integrating the contribution from Chinese traditions.
