Cultural self-consciousness supports China’s sociology

At a recent symposium in Shanghai in honor of revered sociologist Fei Xiaotong, scholars echoed his proposition that China should voluntarily integrate into global culture rather than reactively adjust to globalization. Fei’s Peasant Life in China, which applied functionalism to research on changes in rural China, was not only a unique interpretation of China’s social structure but also formed the foundation of a sociological discourse that enabled Chinese scholars to engage in dialogue with their Western peers, said Zhang Yi, deputy director of the Institute of Sociology at Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. It is time for scholars to sum up the rich experience gained from practice and construct local discourse by drawing from Chinese cultural traditions, said Wen Jun, professor of sociology from the School of Social Development at East China Normal University.