Chinese Social History Studies: Development, Problems, and Solutions

Since its revival in the mid-1980s,the study of Chinese social history has enjoyed steady growth and prominence as an emerging field.Its development over the past three decades can be roughly divided into three stages.The first is the rejuvena-tion stage,when“social history”started to gain ground as a new branch of study and developed into regional and cultural histories.The second stage started around the 1990s when the study of“new social history”arose to break away from the old paradigms and establish new approaches for a self-sustained branch of study.Due to its narrowly targeted narrative framework,obscure jargon,and exclusive rhetoric,it was later reduced to new historical research that focused on investigating concepts without due emphasis on revisiting the origin of the study.The third stage featured the rise of historical anthropology,which sprang up in the late 1990s and brought forth new ideas that spread across the country into the twentieth century with extensive influence.Hence,social history,4<new social history,and historical anthropology mark the three different yet connected stages in the development of Chinese social history studies.Each played a significant part in history with a lasting impact on the development of the field and issues raised for further inquiry.

Chinese Social History： Forty Years of Research under the Chinese Economic Reform

In the wake of the Chinese economic reform, Chinese scholars have welcomed in the resurgence of historical social research. Looking back over the past 30-odd years of research development, it could be said there existed four general periods： A brainstorm period, an initial ＂beginning＂ period, a period of maturation and lastly an expansion period. From looking at the context of [its] theoretical development, it is clear that scholars researching Chinese social history were, from the beginning, focused on how exactly to define ＂society.＂ This, however, resulted in much debate about the different concepts of social history itself. Though the matter has yet to be setded, the ultimate research objective for the field of historical social research is in its pursuit of truth. In recent years following the dissolution of disciplinary boundaries, the interdisciplinary viewpoint（s） established by social and cultural history have also provided forth a new horizon for the development of Chinese historical social research.

Social Work in Light of Jane Addams

Classics of literature and science may characteristically be read anew outside their time and interest area, giving birth to new insights, lane Addams is one such classic author. Her writings can be read as classic texts that educate readers in the discipline of social work, among other things. Her impact on the beginnings of modern social work is foundational. She contributed to radical changes on basis of thought, understanding, and practice in the field. Many have read her texts and written about her, resulting in multiple perspectives. The authors will highlight some relevant areas ripe to be re-examined in our time.

Modernization of Medical Traditions:Indian and Chinese Approaches to Health and Well‑being

The provisioning of health and well-being for every human being on the planet calls for a rethink of conventional medical practices.In both the developed as well as developing world contexts,there is a growing need to rejuvenate alternative medical systems,but they have to be modernized to have cross-cultural appeal and acceptance.This paper explores the clash between Western medicine and Indian traditional medicine in 19th century colonial India which offers a historical precedent that could hold key lessons to the spread of traditional medicine across the world.The paper argues that the British government used biomedicine as a political tool to dominate Indians and resistance from Indian practitioners of traditional systems of medicines(TSMs)was systematically put down through policy measures.However,it was the clash between the medical modalities that transformed Indian TSMs forever as systems such as Ayurveda(the science of life)and Yoga took on the challenge and modernized and continue to have global appeal.The paper compares Indian and Chinese medical systems and argues that similarities in theory and practice in two different historical contexts,19th century India and modern-day China,enable us to understand the relevance of modernization practices in our contemporary world.