Search

Marxism is a theory which originated in the context of nineteenth-century industrialised Europe. Despite its European origins, Marxism has actually found greatest significance as a doctrine for change in the context of the underdeveloped peasant societies of Asia. This paradox has only been resolved through adaptation of Marxism to suit the specific features of particular Asian societies. There has consequently been a differentiation of Marxism along national lines. In this book, first published in 1985, the theoretical and practical implications for this national differentiation of a ‘universal'(European) theory are explored, followed by a more detailed analysis of the manner in which Marxism has developed during different historical periods in particular Asian contexts.

How have Westerners seen the People's Republic of China over the years? The question raises many important issues, which this book aims to present, analyze and explain. The basic conclusion is that Western perspectives are somewhat more complex than simply viewing China's realities. Involved also are politics and power relations, trends in journalism and scholarship, as well as individual and group personalities and psychologies.Based on extensive personal experiences in China dating back to 1964 and wide-ranging travel in Tibet and ethnic regions since the 1980s, the author attempts to distinguish trends in different Western countries. However, most of the material will concern the United States, which has been the dominant contributor to Western perspectives during the whole period of concern to this book.The perspectives are taken up by topic, including politics, economy, society, and ethnic minorities. Inherent in each topic is the way cultures see and react towards each other. Images and perspectives can affect policy, and have done so many times in the past, which adds to the importance of this book. It also takes up questions of the sources of Western perspectives, both in terms of direct sources, such as newspapers, television or the internet, and deeper ones, such as social values and temperament.

In the first half of the twentieth century, China moved from a millennium of imperial rule to the Communist Party-led People's Republic of China which remains today. China in Transformation argues that this enormously significant period in Chinese history saw wrenching change throughout Chinese society amounting to a social, cultural and political transformation. This new, fully revised and updated edition takes full advantage of new research and formerly unavailable material to analyse the fascinating processes of revolution, reform, reaction and change in China during the period. Mackerras:· Discusses the wars, occupations and uprisings that marked the period, including the Boxer Rebellion and the Japanese occupation and includes a new chapter on postwar China and the Civil War· Examines nation-building and revolutions, including the successful communist movement that has led to the rise of today's state· Acknowledges the prevalence of poverty and famine in the period but also gives space to the areas in which there was progress: the introduction of mass, secular education, improvements in the status of women, and in a new chapter, details significant developments in culture, literature and theatreWritten in an accessible style, with a rich collection of Documents, Chronology, Glossary, a Guide to Further Reading,and a Who's Who summarising the careers and contributions of the main figures, this new edition is essential for all those interested in understanding China's modern history.

Central Asia and Xinjiang – the far north-western province of China – are of increasing international importance. The United States, having established military bases in Central Asia after September 2001, has now become a force in what was previously predominantly a Russian sphere of influence; whilst China, Russia and Iran all continue to exert strong influence. These external, international influences have had a significant impact on local politics, with the overthrow of a long-standing regime in Kyrgyzstan, continued unrest and opposition to the current regime in Uzbekistan and the intensification of Chinese control in Xinjiang. This book explores the effect of global and local dynamics across the region: global influences include the ‘War on Terror'and international competition for energy resources; local dynamics include Islamic revival, Central Asian nationalism, drugs trafficking; economic development and integration. The authors argue that these multiple challenges, in fact, unite Xinjiang and Central Asia in a common struggle for identities and economic development.This book provides a comprehensive overview of the region's historical significance, the contemporary international forces which affect the region, and of current political, economic and cultural developments.

First published in 1981.The overthrow of the'gang of four'in October 1976 had profound effects in all areas of Chinese society, and probably nowhere can this be more clearly seen than in the performing arts. Jiang Qing, Mao Zedong's widow, was strongly interested in the performing arts and exercised great influence over them. This book describes her influence and the effects its removal had on the arts. Although the period covered is mainly that since the death of Mao, there is also considerable reference to the years following the Cultural Revolution.

China's fifty-five officially recognised ethnic minorities form about 8% of the Chinese population, with over 100 million people, and occupy over 60% of China's territory. They are very diverse, and the degree of modernisation among them varies greatly. This book examines the current state of China's ethnic minorities at a time when ethnic affairs and globalisation are key forces affecting the contemporary world. It considers the fields of policy, economy, society and international relations, including the impact of globalisation and outside influences.

This book is designed as a comprehensive comparative introduction to ethnicity in East and Southeast Asia since 1945. Each chapter covers a particular country looking at such core issues as:· the ethnic minorities or groups in the country of concern, how many ethnic groups, population, language and culture group they belong to, traditional religions and arts· government policy towards the ethnic minorities or groups · the economies of the ethnic minorities or groups and the relation with the national economy;· problems of national integration caused by the ethnic minorities or groups;· the impact of ethnic issues on the country's overall foreign relations.

As China's political and economic development comes under closer scrutiny, this Dictionary will prove invaluable to anyone with an interest in contemporary China. As well as proving valuable to students and academics of political science, economics, history and Asian studies, it will be of use to government officials, business people and media professionals with current or future connections in the region. The main topics covered by the Dictionary are:• major political processes and events • key issues in domestic policy• China's evolving foreign policy environment• key political personalities• major political institutions and groupings• important aspects of the legal system.

The overthrow of the ‘gang of four'in 1976 had profound effects in all areas of Chinese society, and probably nowhere can this be seen more clearly than in the performing arts. Jiang Qing, Mao Zedong's widow, was strongly interested in the performing arts and exercised great influence over them. Professor Mackerras describes this influence and the effects its removal had on the arts in the years after Mao's death, as well as in the years following the Cultural Revolution.This book, first published in 1981, deals not only with opera, the spoken play, music and dance but also with cinema, describing how in all these cases the Chinese have adapted traditional art forms for political, social and propagandist purposes, both domestic and international. It charts the transformations that have taken place in all the multiple aspects of the performing arts and sets them against the development of Chinese society as a whole. It also looks at the role of the actor and performer in society, including their training, social status and livelihood.

This volume is the first concise introduction to the splendid variety of the Chinese theatrical tradition. It presents a rounded perspective on the development of Chinese theater by considering all of its major aspects—history and social context, performance, costume, makeup, actors, playwrights, and theaters—and by discussing all the major forms of Chinese theater, including the Beijing opera, which arose in the eighteenth century, and the spoken play, an entirely twentieth-century form.Its contributors are uniquely qualified to write about the Chinese theater. They have enjoyed an intimate relationship with their subject, both as academics and as theater workers, and they have combined a deep knowledge of Chinese theater with a high regard for its long tradition and continuing vitality.The book is intended for general as well as more specialized readers. Those with an interest in theater as a worldwide phenomenon and those wanting a new light on Chinese culture and society will find it equally useful. To those with a particular interest in Chinese theater, it will be a rich and important resource.

This important new text examines the crucial social and cultural factors associated with the rise of the Asia- Pacific region at the end of the Twentieth Century.It takes a close look at those areas which have affected the everyday life of the people most directly. These include:• the family• gender relations and the position of women• religion• the arts, with specific reference to film• ethnic relations and population migration• education, and the images of the Asia-Pacific.The authors discuss real tensions between tradition and modernity in different nations of the Asia-Pacific, exploring the effects that economic growth has on powerful traditional cultures.