Family, Fields, and Ancestors: Constancy and Change in China's Social and Economic History, 1550-1949 / Edition 1

by Lloyd E. Eastman

Overview

This study synthesizes recent research on China's social and economic history, offering a perspective on the four centuries from the Ming Dynasty to the Communist revolution. Drawing on a wide array of sources, the author clarifies the complexities of Chinese society, covering a wide range of topics from population trends, class structure and religion to agriculture, commerce and manufacturing.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780195052701
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	02/04/1988
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	9.23(w) x 6.11(h) x 0.55(d)

About the Author

University of Illinois

Table of Contents

Population: Growth and MigrationThe Family and the Individual in Chinese SocietyThe Popular Religion: Gods, Ghosts, and AncestorsAgriculture: An OverviewThe Agricultural Sector in the Early-20th Century: The Problem of "Peasant Immiseration"Commerce in the Late-Imperial Period: The Instruments and Geography of TradeManufacturing in the Late-Imperial Period: A Failed Industrial Revolution? Commerce and Manufacturing During the Period of Western InfluenceNew Social Classes in the Early-Modern PeriodThe Yin Side of Society: Secret Societies, Bandits, and FeudsConclusion: Constancy and Change

Editorial Reviews

"Provides solid grounding in the economic and social context that shaped modern China's political history....The chapters are clearly written and generous in their presentation of factual data."—History

"Excellent background for a modern China course."—Linda Walton, Portland State University

"A most useful resource for teachers and students of modern Chinese history, as well as those who labor in the vineyards of world history/civilization courses....The best single assessment available of the economy and society of China in the four hundred years before the Chinese Communist takeover, providing a coherent picture of a vast and complex region in a global context."—The Historian

"[Eastman] has succeeded in producing a textbook noteworthy for its direct and lucid discussion of many major historical issues....The book's style is marked by an informality and verve certain to keep students' interest....Students will gain much from this readable introductory synthesis."—Asia

"A very useful textbook....Significantly supplements the dominant emphasis on political and intellectual history in other texts, and thus better reflects the interests and findings of important new trends in the study of China's history by Americans and others."—Journal of Economic History

From the Publisher