Search results

This thesis presents a case study on the institutions related to the management of the canal in Yangzhou during the period 1700–1850. The main question addressed by this thesis is why the institutions that managed the canal were initially successful but proved to be ineffective in the long term. In order to investigate this question, it is necessary to understand the mechanisms behind institutional change. We follow the local society of Yangzhou to explore the interactions between the central government and each social group at local level, to disentangle the role that these interest groups played. We find that emperors made many efforts to manage the Grand Canal. Yet, the practical management depended on the responses from other societal groups. The activities of these groups were determined to a large extent by how much each group's dependence on the canal, by the local power dynamics in Yangzhou, and by the relationships amongst these societal groups. Without an effective supervision mechanism, various forms of collusion in pursuit of individual interests, especially among local powerful groups, became predominant in Yangzhou society. On issues related to local common interests, local interest groups in Yangzhou came to form the unanimous voice influential at the court. As a result, institutional developments which would harm local interests were actively blocked by strong resistance from local society. Within local society, each group competed in striving for their own private interests or small 'territory', and the common good was excluded from their consideration and sacrificed.

Objective: Institution-care pension become an common choice. Background: With the development of economy, urbanization, and cultural diversification, the graying of Chinese society, is markedly increasing, during transitional period. Method: Using binary logistic regression, this paper analyzes the form, social and cultural factors, and influence mechanisms of institution-care pension, using Chengdu City as a case. Conclusion: Habit differences of old people and adult and worrying about being discriminated against are significant to institution-care pension of the old. Furthermore, considerate pension service, family members are not around, and reducing family conflicts might also affect the institution-care pension. Among them, habit differences of old people and adult have the most significant effect. Application: The institution-care pension in China is critical to the social well-being of senior citizens and the sustainable development of society, as well as to the formulation of related government policies.

AbstractDespite the existence of a rich literature on Chinese partial household division, there is still limited evidence of its effect on land and capital accumulation and well‐being. In this study, contrary to the dominant view, we find that household property size peaked around 1800s–1830s, suggesting that equal‐share system did not necessarily lead to land fragmentation. We find evidence that this rise in farm sizes is related to the opposing forces of increased well‐being and increased inequality.

In Education in China, ca. 1840-present Meimei Wang, Bas van Leeuwen and Jieli Li offer a description of the transformation of the Chinese education system from the traditional Confucian teaching system to a modern mode. In doing so, they touch on various debates about education such as the speed of the educational modernization around 1900, the role of female education, and the economic efficiency of education. This description is combined with relevant data stretching from the second half of 19th century to present collected mainly from statistical archives and contemporary investigations.