Literature and Society

Another wonderful addition to advanced modern Chinese teaching materials... Literature and Society offers American students a good introduction to a variety of genres including essay, prose, short story and short play. They are interesting, challenging, and easy to discuss. It makes a wonderful textbook for an advanced Chinese language course. -- Baozhang He, Director, Chinese Language Program, EALC Harvard University The subject matter of the lessons is not only fascinating (the selections with humor and sarcasm will really appeal to American students!), but it is up to date--no other reader on the market offers the sociological perspective on China that one finds in this text. -- James M. Hargett, State University of New York, Albany

Suitable for upper-level students, usually in their fourth year of studying Chinese, this book contains literary works and essays related to the social sciences. It reflects the social issues China has faced in the years and presents a fresh approach to introducing students to various aspects of Chinese society.Literature and Society, a textbook designed for upper-level students, usually in their fourth year of studying Chinese, contains literary works and essays related to the social sciences. It reflects the social issues China has faced in recent years and represents a new approach to introducing students to various aspects of Chinese society. The textbook contains two sections. The first, entitled "Literature," includes works by Lu Xun, Lin Yutang, Liang Shiqiu, Wang Li, Xie Bingying, and Wang Meng. The selections include essays, short stories, and one play. Each selection reflects a different side of Chinese life, from offering hospitality to guests and haggling over prices to philosophical issues. The second section of the textbook, entitled "Society," includes essays by Fei Xiaotong, Ma Yinchu, Wu Han, Liang Sicheng, and Chen Hengzhe. These works cover six issues: marriage and family, population and ethics, urbanization, intellectuals, minorities, and the preservation of ancient architecture in a modern city. The textbook provides a brief introduction to each author and discussion questions at the end of each piece.