1 Robert Park in China
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Xuefei Ren
Abstract
The Chicago School of urban sociology was not only influential in the U.S., but also instrumental for introducing sociology to China in the early 20th century. Drawing upon archival materials from the University of Chicago’s special collection, this chapter examines Robert Park’s connections to China in the 1930s and highlights the pivotal role of the Chicago School in the education of the first generation of Chinese sociologists. The chapter argues that there is still much to be learned from the Chicago School, such as its effort to formulate a reflective research agenda in The City (1925), and Robert Park’s gesture of comparing cities across time and places. It suggests reviving Park’s comparative spirit and engaging comparison in the next course of urban China studies.
Abstract
The Chicago School of urban sociology was not only influential in the U.S., but also instrumental for introducing sociology to China in the early 20th century. Drawing upon archival materials from the University of Chicago’s special collection, this chapter examines Robert Park’s connections to China in the 1930s and highlights the pivotal role of the Chicago School in the education of the first generation of Chinese sociologists. The chapter argues that there is still much to be learned from the Chicago School, such as its effort to formulate a reflective research agenda in The City (1925), and Robert Park’s gesture of comparing cities across time and places. It suggests reviving Park’s comparative spirit and engaging comparison in the next course of urban China studies.
Chapters in this book
- Front Matter i
- Contents iii
- List of Tables and Figures v
- Notes on Contributors vii
- Acknowledgments xii
- Preface xiii
- Robert Park in China 1
- “Bewitched by the History Behind the Walls” 17
- Moral Order in the Post-Socialist Chinese City 41
- Learning from Chicago (and LA)? 61
- From Chicago to Shenzhen, via Birmingham 81
- Urbanization and Economic Development 101
- The Handshake 302 Village Hack Residency 125
- Beijing Ring Roads and the Poetics of Excess and Ordinariness 141
- Pathways to Urban Residency and Subjective Well-Being in Beijing 157
- A Study of Socio-spatial Segregation of Rural Migrants in Shenzhen 185
- The Anxious Middle Class of Urban China 207
- Conclusion 231
- Index 247
Chapters in this book
- Front Matter i
- Contents iii
- List of Tables and Figures v
- Notes on Contributors vii
- Acknowledgments xii
- Preface xiii
- Robert Park in China 1
- “Bewitched by the History Behind the Walls” 17
- Moral Order in the Post-Socialist Chinese City 41
- Learning from Chicago (and LA)? 61
- From Chicago to Shenzhen, via Birmingham 81
- Urbanization and Economic Development 101
- The Handshake 302 Village Hack Residency 125
- Beijing Ring Roads and the Poetics of Excess and Ordinariness 141
- Pathways to Urban Residency and Subjective Well-Being in Beijing 157
- A Study of Socio-spatial Segregation of Rural Migrants in Shenzhen 185
- The Anxious Middle Class of Urban China 207
- Conclusion 231
- Index 247
