Chinese culture, which has been regarded as a collectivistic one by such great heads as G. Hofstede and Triands for a long time, seldom receives challenge on its very nature. The authors, however, found at least three...Chinese culture, which has been regarded as a collectivistic one by such great heads as G. Hofstede and Triands for a long time, seldom receives challenge on its very nature. The authors, however, found at least three critical mistakes in Hofstede＇s work, and raised their argument that Chinese culture is not a collectivistic one, but a ＂shi＂ culture which relies heavily on context. The split of mind is the fundamental cause of this ＂shi＂ culture.展开更多
Among various views on intergenerational justice, the most widely accepted theory invokes the rights of future generations. However, the rights theory seems to suffer from the non-identity problem addressed by Derek P...Among various views on intergenerational justice, the most widely accepted theory invokes the rights of future generations. However, the rights theory seems to suffer from the non-identity problem addressed by Derek Parfit. Some rights theorists attempt to circumvent the problem by examining causal links between actions taken by preceding generations and their effects on succeeding ones, Others try to do so by replacing future individual rights with such collective rights. This paper argues that both individualist and collectivist versions of the rights theory fail to supply grounds for intergenerational concern. The paper then offers an alternative theory that refines the idea of duty of fair play developed by John Rawls and applies it to the context of intergenerational relationships. To begin with, I identify several characteristics of posterity and explicate the adverse implications these characteristics have for other major theories of intertemporal concern than the rights theory. Next, different versions of the rights theory are closely examined from the perspective of the non-identity problem. Then, I offer an alternative argument for caring about future people, which is founded on the idea of intergenerational fair play. This paper concludes by noting that the fairness theory, unlike its rivals, does not face the non-identity problem or any other problems stemming from the features of posterity previously identified.展开更多
This article deals with one of the theoretical dilemmas of contemporary sociology： the dualism of the individualistic and holistic approaches. One of the most famous attempts to overcome this dualism is the structura...This article deals with one of the theoretical dilemmas of contemporary sociology： the dualism of the individualistic and holistic approaches. One of the most famous attempts to overcome this dualism is the structuration theory of Anthony Giddens, and alongside this is found the conception of social realism of Roy Bhaskar and Margaret Archer. Their efforts to link individualistic and holistic approaches are based on a varifocal attempt to explain the theoretical issues from both individualistic and holistic perspectives. The author of this article believes that there is an alternative solution to this problem, where both perspectives are ＂blended＂ in a theoretical explanation demonstrating that the concepts which we use in sociological theory--actor, action and structure--are inherently of dualistic nature, i.e., they are ＂duplex＂.展开更多
In the process of China’s dynamic social changes over the past decades, the young-parent identity construction of an emerging middle class and the resulting changes of social-cultural values in this context have attr...In the process of China’s dynamic social changes over the past decades, the young-parent identity construction of an emerging middle class and the resulting changes of social-cultural values in this context have attracted the attention of academic research in recent years. With the focus on the discursive construction of parent identity, this study examines the utilization of first-person pronouns in three different interactional contexts, namely, parent-teacher interaction, parent-parent interaction, and parent-child interaction. The study further explores the patterns of alignment between the parents and their children, parents and teachers of their children, and peer parents during the process of identity construction, followed by a discussion of the implication that young, emerging middleclass Chinese parents fundamentally shape themselves as "concerned" and "involved" parents and the change of values between collectivity and agency. The study not only demonstrates the dynamic and pluralistic nature of parent identity but also deepens our understanding of the indexical roles of first-person pronouns in the discursive construction of emerging middle-class Chinese parent identity and its relationship with the recent social-cultural changes in the Chinese context.展开更多
文摘Chinese culture, which has been regarded as a collectivistic one by such great heads as G. Hofstede and Triands for a long time, seldom receives challenge on its very nature. The authors, however, found at least three critical mistakes in Hofstede＇s work, and raised their argument that Chinese culture is not a collectivistic one, but a ＂shi＂ culture which relies heavily on context. The split of mind is the fundamental cause of this ＂shi＂ culture.
文摘Among various views on intergenerational justice, the most widely accepted theory invokes the rights of future generations. However, the rights theory seems to suffer from the non-identity problem addressed by Derek Parfit. Some rights theorists attempt to circumvent the problem by examining causal links between actions taken by preceding generations and their effects on succeeding ones, Others try to do so by replacing future individual rights with such collective rights. This paper argues that both individualist and collectivist versions of the rights theory fail to supply grounds for intergenerational concern. The paper then offers an alternative theory that refines the idea of duty of fair play developed by John Rawls and applies it to the context of intergenerational relationships. To begin with, I identify several characteristics of posterity and explicate the adverse implications these characteristics have for other major theories of intertemporal concern than the rights theory. Next, different versions of the rights theory are closely examined from the perspective of the non-identity problem. Then, I offer an alternative argument for caring about future people, which is founded on the idea of intergenerational fair play. This paper concludes by noting that the fairness theory, unlike its rivals, does not face the non-identity problem or any other problems stemming from the features of posterity previously identified.
文摘This article deals with one of the theoretical dilemmas of contemporary sociology： the dualism of the individualistic and holistic approaches. One of the most famous attempts to overcome this dualism is the structuration theory of Anthony Giddens, and alongside this is found the conception of social realism of Roy Bhaskar and Margaret Archer. Their efforts to link individualistic and holistic approaches are based on a varifocal attempt to explain the theoretical issues from both individualistic and holistic perspectives. The author of this article believes that there is an alternative solution to this problem, where both perspectives are ＂blended＂ in a theoretical explanation demonstrating that the concepts which we use in sociological theory--actor, action and structure--are inherently of dualistic nature, i.e., they are ＂duplex＂.
基金a part of the Chinese MOE Key Research Project of Humanities and Social Science (Project No.: 16JJD740006) conducted by the Centre for Linguistics and Applied Linguistics, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies
文摘In the process of China’s dynamic social changes over the past decades, the young-parent identity construction of an emerging middle class and the resulting changes of social-cultural values in this context have attracted the attention of academic research in recent years. With the focus on the discursive construction of parent identity, this study examines the utilization of first-person pronouns in three different interactional contexts, namely, parent-teacher interaction, parent-parent interaction, and parent-child interaction. The study further explores the patterns of alignment between the parents and their children, parents and teachers of their children, and peer parents during the process of identity construction, followed by a discussion of the implication that young, emerging middleclass Chinese parents fundamentally shape themselves as "concerned" and "involved" parents and the change of values between collectivity and agency. The study not only demonstrates the dynamic and pluralistic nature of parent identity but also deepens our understanding of the indexical roles of first-person pronouns in the discursive construction of emerging middle-class Chinese parent identity and its relationship with the recent social-cultural changes in the Chinese context.
