The Chinese Pursuit of Happiness - by Becky Yang Hsu & Richard Madsen (Hardcover)

About the Book

"What is happiness and how can we get it? The way people in China ask and try to answer these universal questions tells a lot about the tensions in Chinese culture and society during the present time of political and economic change. These essays by a team of researchers illuminate the causes of anxiety and reasons for hope in China today. They vividly describe the moral dilemmas experienced in contemporary family life, the rituals of happiness performed in modern weddings, the practices of conviviality carried out in shared meals, the professional tensions confronted by social workers, and the hopes and frustrations shared by political reformers"--Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

What defines "happiness," and how can we attain it? The ways in which people in China ask and answer this universal question tell a lot about the tensions and challenges they face during periods of remarkable political and economic change.

Based on a five-year original study conducted by a select team of China experts, The Chinese Pursuit of Happiness begins by asking if Chinese citizens' assessment of their life is primarily a judgment of their social relationships. The book shows how different dimensions of happiness are manifest in the moral and ethical understandings that embed individuals in specific communities. Vividly describing the moral dilemmas experienced in contemporary Chinese society, the rituals of happiness performed in modern weddings, the practices of conviviality carried out in shared meals, the professional tensions confronted by social workers, and the hopes and frustrations shared by political reformers, the contributors to this important study illuminate the causes of anxiety and reasons for hope in China today.

From the Back Cover

"Exploring how various versions of happiness derive from individual endeavors of living up to certain core virtues, this book offers a highly original and excellent account of what constitutes a good life and a good society in contemporary China. A must-read!"--Yunxiang Yan, author of The Individualization of Chinese Society
"This is a highly original work that sheds light on what 'a good life' means in contemporary China. In an era when many lament society's spiritual vacuum and loss of shared values, this book shows that there are still common threads tying together how Chinese people imagine and pursue happiness."--Anthony J. Spires, University of Melbourne

Review Quotes

"The volume offers nuanced and textured moral and ethical understandings of the good life in China at individual, familial, and societal levels. . . . It sets a high bar for future mappings of happiness imaginaries."-- "China Quarterly"

"This book is one of those rare edited volumes where all chapters are of high quality: beautifully written, theoretically thoughtful, and empirically grounded. The book is strongly recommended for anyone interested in the sociology of morality, cultural sociology, and contemporary China."-- "Contemporary Sociology"

"An invaluable contribution to diversifying and complicating the study of happiness across the world."-- "China Review International"

About the Author

Becky Yang Hsu is Associate Professor of Sociology at Georgetown University and the author of Borrowing Together.

Richard Madsen is Distinguished Research Professor at the University of California, San Diego, and the author of numerous books on Chinese societies.