This study examines some social consequences of food rationing and economic reforms in Shanghai by considering the notion of ＂Shanghai little men＂ （a broader translation of which is ＂Shanghai less-than-manly men＂...This study examines some social consequences of food rationing and economic reforms in Shanghai by considering the notion of ＂Shanghai little men＂ （a broader translation of which is ＂Shanghai less-than-manly men＂）. Male Shanghainese are notorious for doing household labor and being obedient to their wives, which has earned them the nickname Shanghai little men. This study indicates that their grocery shopping and cooking were first inspired by fundamental changes in food distribution and the power structure during the 1950s and 1960s. It treats Shanghai little men as both a special group and a symbol of certain changes in gender roles at home and the redefining of gender norms in the larger society. It examines the shifting discourse concerning Shanghai little men in the era of economic reforms and analyzes a recent popular discourse about ＂seeking real men＂ and ＂being real women.＂ Finally, it deconstructs the current cultural nostalgia for traditional gender-defined divisions of labor, reflecting a parallel developmen--the ＂transnational business masculinity＂ that one sees in China.展开更多
This volume is a significant addition to the literature on PRC history. It discusses China＇s urban-rural dichotomy, one of the most pressing social problems in contemporary China. The author has done extensive interv...This volume is a significant addition to the literature on PRC history. It discusses China＇s urban-rural dichotomy, one of the most pressing social problems in contemporary China. The author has done extensive interviews to explore how ＂people in the Tianjin region of north China negotiated the rural-urban gap in their everyday lives＂ （p. 3）. Most urban historians argue that since the 14th century, China has transformed itself from an empire of villages to an empire of cities. After 1860, China saw an urgent need to deal with the increasing threat of domestic rebellions and foreign intrusions by learning Western industrial technology.展开更多
文摘This study examines some social consequences of food rationing and economic reforms in Shanghai by considering the notion of ＂Shanghai little men＂ （a broader translation of which is ＂Shanghai less-than-manly men＂）. Male Shanghainese are notorious for doing household labor and being obedient to their wives, which has earned them the nickname Shanghai little men. This study indicates that their grocery shopping and cooking were first inspired by fundamental changes in food distribution and the power structure during the 1950s and 1960s. It treats Shanghai little men as both a special group and a symbol of certain changes in gender roles at home and the redefining of gender norms in the larger society. It examines the shifting discourse concerning Shanghai little men in the era of economic reforms and analyzes a recent popular discourse about ＂seeking real men＂ and ＂being real women.＂ Finally, it deconstructs the current cultural nostalgia for traditional gender-defined divisions of labor, reflecting a parallel developmen--the ＂transnational business masculinity＂ that one sees in China.
文摘This volume is a significant addition to the literature on PRC history. It discusses China＇s urban-rural dichotomy, one of the most pressing social problems in contemporary China. The author has done extensive interviews to explore how ＂people in the Tianjin region of north China negotiated the rural-urban gap in their everyday lives＂ （p. 3）. Most urban historians argue that since the 14th century, China has transformed itself from an empire of villages to an empire of cities. After 1860, China saw an urgent need to deal with the increasing threat of domestic rebellions and foreign intrusions by learning Western industrial technology.
