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JOINING THE MODERN WORLD
Inside and Outside China
by Wang Gungwu (East Asian Institute, National University of Singapore)
For the past century, all kinds of Chinese people seemed to have tried to be "modern". At the same time, the standards of modernity have been set elsewhere and they seem always to be higher than what has been achieved. That makes most Chinese work harder, but some may well wonder if standards rise so that China will always get a poor report card at the end of each year.
The ongoing drama of Chinese people seeking to be modern has been enacted in different parts of the world. There are interesting differences among these Chinese, depending on where they have been living. The general trend, however, is unmistakable. The striving for betterment is supported by a strong capacity to adapt and change, and this is reflected in the way the Chinese seize new opportunities when they occur. The essays here describe some of these efforts both inside and outside China, and form a small mosaic of Chinese practising the art of modernising.
Contents:
- Joining the Modern World
- The Chinese Revolution and the Overseas
Chinese
- A Single Chinese Diaspora?
- Hong Kong and an Ambivalent Modernity
- The Shanghai–Hong Kong Linkage
- Transforming the Trading Chinese
- Chinese Values and Memories of Modern War
- Modern Work Cultures and the Chinese
Readership: General.
| 172pp |
Pub. date: Dec 2000 |
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