Confucian Piety and Individualism in Han China

Nylan, Michael

doi:10.2307/606369

Cited by 24 publications

(14 citation statements)

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“…In the governance system of imperial China, local officials were not judged on how closely they followed orders from above, but on how well they provided for the well-being of the populations under their governance. The ideal official was someone considered to be a true “father and mother” of the people (Nylan 1996). …”

Section: Theoretical Issuesmentioning

confidence: 99%

and social inequality in contemporary urban ChinaDanwei

Xie¹,

Lai²,

Wu³

2009

Research in the Sociology of Work

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Prior research showed that danwei, the work unit, was very important in determining workers' social, economic, and political lives in pre-reform urban China. In this paper, we argue that danwei continues to be an agent of social stratification in contemporary urban China. Using data from a 1999 survey we conducted in three large Chinese cities, Wuhan, Shanghai, and Xi'an, we assess the extent to which workers' socioeconomic well-being depends on the financial conditions of their danwei. Results show that the financial situation of danwei remains one of the most important determinants of earnings and benefits. However, the explanatory power of danwei's financial situation is much greater for earnings than for benefits.

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Section: Theoretical Issuesmentioning

confidence: 99%

and social inequality in contemporary urban ChinaDanwei

Xie¹,

Lai²,

Wu³

2009

Research in the Sociology of Work

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“…Older Chinese Canadians tend to take pride in their cultural heritage and believe that its having provided enduring moral principles over a 5,000 year span speaks to its superiority (Yang, 1986). Asian elderly in North America are eager to pass on traditional values (e.g., caring for family members) to their grandchildren (Wong, 1995;Wong & Watt, 1991), and veneration of the elderly in the Chinese culture has been quite well documented (e.g., Logan, Bian, & Bian, 1998;Nylan, 1996). Although there is some evidence that the degree of positive regard for older people may be waning (Chow, 1999), veneration of the elderly remains an indelible cultural belief among the ethnic Chinese in Taiwan (Hermalin, Ofstedal & Chang, 1996), Singapore (Schwartz, 1994), mainland China (Levy & Langer, 1994), and Hong Kong (Cheng, 1996;Fry, 1995), as well as among Chinese, Korean, and Japanese immigrants in North America (Sung, 1985;Ujimoto, Nishio, Wong, & Lam, 1992 (Yu, 1983).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Cross-cultural differences in memory: The role of culture-based stereotypes about aging.

Yoon¹,

Hasher²,

Feinberg³

et al. 2000

Psychology and Aging

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The extent to which cultural stereotypes about aging contribute to age differences in memory performance is investigated by comparing younger and older Anglophone Canadians to demographically matched Chinese Canadians, who tend to hold more positive views of aging. Four memory tests were administered. In contrast to B. Levy and E. Langer's (1994) findings, younger adults in both cultural groups outperformed their older comparison group on all memory tests. For 2 tests, which made use of visual stimuli resembling ideographic characters in written Chinese, the older Chinese Canadians approached, but did not reach, the performance achieved by their younger counterparts, as well as outperformed the older Anglophone Canadians. However, on the other two tests, which assess memory for complex figures and abstract designs, no differences were observed between the older Chinese and Anglophone Canadians. Path analysis results suggest that this pattern of findings is not easily attributed to a wholly culturally based account of age differences in memory performance.

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“…Worse still, only a few men with ties to the dynasty were responsible for monitoring administrators; for the empire as a whole, there were only 13 inspectors, each with a staff of nine men (Bielenstein, 1980: 91). Given the situation, it is unsurprising that several years could have passed before central authorities discovered that the governor of Yingchuan had become senile, and a lowly clerk had taken charge of the commandery (Nylan, 1996: 17). The court was even less likely to learn of improprieties committed by county-level officials.…”

Section: Practical Necessity and Classical Paternalismmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…More problematic, many Han administrators were not highly literate, let alone thoroughly versed in the classics. The education of even members of the elite commissioned ranks was often practical and functional; it was comprised of basic training in reading, writing, accounting, and administrative procedure, rather than mastery of arcane classics (Hsing, 1987: 160; Nylan, 1996: 11; 12–15; 2000: 238; cf. Houn, 1956 p. 159).…”

Section: Practical Necessity and Classical Paternalismmentioning

confidence: 99%

Between heaven and earth: Dual accountability in Han China

Brown

Xie

2015

Chinese Journal of Sociology

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Scholars have noticed that centrally-appointed officials in imperial China were not only beholden to their superiors but also acted as brokers of local interests. We characterize such a structural position as ‘dual accountability’. Although accountability to superiors is readily understandable within the Weberian framework of bureaucratic hierarchy, the reasons behind local responsiveness bear explanation. This paper attempts to explain such responsiveness by investigating the larger ideological, structural, and institutional contexts of the Han dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE). We explore two existing explanations – practical necessity and ‘Confucian’ or classical paternalism – and add a new explanation of our own: the emphasis on virtuous reputations in the system of bureaucratic recruitment and promotion. Our argument is supported by empirical evidence from a range of sources, including administrative records and inscriptions on ancient stelae. More generally, we question Weber’s hypothesis that the Chinese imperial system of administration fit the ideal type of traditional bureaucracy, and we examine the rational bases underlying an ‘inefficient’ system that was in place for two millennia.

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Confucian Piety and Individualism in Han China

Cited by 24 publications

References 0 publications

and social inequality in contemporary urban ChinaDanwei

and social inequality in contemporary urban ChinaDanwei

Cross-cultural differences in memory: The role of culture-based stereotypes about aging.

Between heaven and earth: Dual accountability in Han China

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