10 Between Fatalism and Voluntarism: The Concept of Yuanfen (Fated Chance) and Its Role for Young Adults’ Psychosocial Adjustment in Contemporary China

Chapters in this book

1. Frontmatter 1
2. Table of Contents 5
3. Contributors 7
4. Editor Acknowledgements 9
5. Introduction 11
6. Part I. Developmentalist Thinking
7. 1 Luohou (Lagging Behind) and the Impetus of Self-improvement 39
8. 2 Fendou (Struggle), Self-help and Chinese Modernity 61
9. 3 Optimizing Individual Desires : Mengxiang (Dreams) and Entrepreneurship in Chinese Universities 81
10. Part II Transformative Frameworks
11. 4 Qingxu Shifang (Emotional Release) in Psychotherapeutic Learning 105
12. 5 “You’ve Got to Have Core Muscles” : Duanlian (Exercise) and the Disciplining of the Body and Self among White-collar Women 129
13. 6 Jiaohua (Education for Transformation) and Self-refashioning in Chinese Individuals’ Confucian Learning 147
14. Part III Empowering Ingredients
15. 7 To Have Nengli (Ability) When Lacking Xueli (Educational Qualifications): Striving for Success through Craftiness in Rural China 169
16. 8 The Desire to Help: Aixin (Loving Heart) and Self-development in China 187
17. 9 Learning to Xinshang (Appreciate): Young Adults’ Pursuit of Nonstandardized Sensibilities 209
18. 10 Between Fatalism and Voluntarism: The Concept of Yuanfen (Fated Chance) and Its Role for Young Adults’ Psychosocial Adjustment in Contemporary China 229
19. Part IV Disillusionment
20. 11 The Inescapability of Neijuan (Involution) 259
21. 12 Tangping (Lying Flat) among Young Adults : Shameful, Courageous or Just Fleeting Resistance? 279
22. Epilogue: The Politics of Arrested Selfdevelopment 303
23. Index 311