Book Review: Chinese Family and Society
| Date | 01 September 1947 |
| Published date | 01 September 1947 |
| Author | C. C. Shih |
| DOI | 10.1177/002070204700200315 |
| Subject Matter | Book Review |
Book
Reviews
At the
same
time,
it
furnishes
aid
for
the
appraisal
of
the
significance
of
other
recent
political
developments.
Halifax,
Nova
Scotia,
February
1947.
C.
B.
Ferguson
CHINESE FAMILY
AND
SOCIETY.
By
Olga
Lang.
1946.
(New
Haven:
Yale
University
Press,
for
International Secretariat,
I.P.R.
3R5
pp.
$4.00
U.S.)
There
are
numerous
books concerning
the
Chinese
family,
and
the
social
as
well
as
cultural
life
of
the country.
But
in
most
cases
the
author's
conclusions
are
brought
forth
with
little
regard
for
scientific
method
in
research.
It
is
true
that
the
constant
and
rapid,
but
irregular
and
'incomplete
changes
in
Chinese
family
and
social
life,
offer
infinite
difficulties to
the
sociologist
who
wishes
to
engage
in
systematic methods
of
investigation.
This
is
particularly
true
of
the
period
from
1935
on,
during
which
time the
great
force
of
nationalism has
been
striving
to
re-direct
the
orientation
of
individual,
family,
social,
and
state
life.
Yet
Miss
Lang,
with
an
unbiased mind and
scientific
approach,
basing
her
conclusions
on
many
years
of
association
with
the
Chinese
and
two
years
of
intensive
field
work
covering
thousands
of
case
histories,
gives
us
a
valuable and
convincing
picture
of
Chinese
life
in
her
CHINESE
FAMILY
AND
SOCIETY,
which
is one
of
the
few
scientific
works
on
Chinese
sociology
of
recent
years.
This
study
is
especially
valuable
in
regard
to
the
changes
that
have
been
taking
place
in
all
walks
of
life
since
the
turn
of
the
century.
If
there
is
a
defect
in
the
author's
approach,
'it
is
that
she
places
too
much
emphasis
on
the
legal aspect
of
early
Chinese
life.
The
early culture
of
the
Chinese
was
essentially
one
of
reason, tolerance,
patience,
emotion,
and
compromise.
To
interpret
the
family
and
social
life
of
the time
on
the
basis
of
the
laws
and
the
evidence
of
the
Classics
will
result
in
an
incomplete
picture,
since
the
Chinese
seldom
resorted
to
law
in
their
relations
with
each
other.
For
instance,
legally
the
husband
may
repudiate
his
wife
for
any
of
the
seven
grounds
in
the
Li
Chi,
but
as
a
rule
the
Chinese women
are
in
fact
more effectively
protected
by
public
opinion
and
custom
than
are
their
sisters
in
many
other
countries.
However,
in
dealing
with
the
transition
period,
during
which time
the
law
grants
equality
between
the
two sexes,
the
author
makes
a
certain
allowance
in
saying
that
"tradition
is
stronger
than
the
law."
It
will
be
found,
as
a
matter
of
fact,
that
either
the
old
conventions
or
the
new
laws
may
be
resorted
to.
Furthermore,
the
author
throws
much
new
light
in
her
up-to-date
study.
She
uses
the
old-fashioned
Chinese
family
as
a
key-stone
in
her
investigation
of
Chinese
society,
and
her
emphasis
on
the
old
man
as
the
fountain-head
of
authority
is
very
sound.
She
shows
the
trend and
degree
of
change
in
the
transition
period
by
tracing
the
changes
in
attitude
to
the
authority
of
the
old
man:
the
acceptance
of
his
authority,
273
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