With an integration of theories, comparative and empirical studies, this book aims to find a treatment for Beijing’s “urban diseases” and coordinate a low-carbon development plan for the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region in China. Unprecedented industrialization and unconventional urbanization caused a series of “urban diseases” for developing cities across the globe. By summarizing and exploring the evolution and phased characteristics of “urban diseases”, the author implements theories across classical sociology, human ecology, community school, and low-carbon city as the base for policy recommendations. This book also provides in-depth examinations and comparative studies of other metropolises’ experiences in controlling “urban diseases”. Cities such as New York, London, and Tokyo were modeled to propose the most appropriate low-carbon development plan for the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. With a focus on developing cities in Northern China, this book will be a great read to all scholars and students of environmental studies, development studies, urban studies, and contemporary China studies. It will also be a great addition for those who are interested in social conflicts and economic development.

This book analyzes the relationship between trust and social capital in contemporary Chinese society. It attempts to clarify the differences in degree among various types of trust in China today and the logic of social actions, hoping to provide a new perspective from which China's local social relationship networks can be understood. The book contributes to the field of contemporary Chinese sociology in the numerous ways. First, it improves the methods for comparing the ways in which different types of trust are measured. Second, it analyzes the regional differences in trust (especially universal trust) across China. Third, it discusses the impact of social capital (social relations and their embedded resources) on trust and tests the relationship for linearity and curvilinearity. Fourth, it explores whether the relationship between social capital and universal trust is regulated by institutional structural resources. The analysis of the regulatory role of structural resources paves the way for a more comprehensive theory of the relationship between social capital and trust. The book will be of interest to students and scholars of sociology, contemporary China, and East Asian studies. It will also be a valuable source of reference for policymakers on the improvement of social institutions.

This book investigates the population and labour management reforms implemented since the reform and opening up of China in the early 1980s, giving insights into the economic and social implications of these reforms and future prospects for population governance. The study examines three major components of China’s population management strategy in terms of its history and implementation: the household registration (Hukou) system, family planning policy, and the labour market system. Grounded in both qualitative and quantitative analysis, key metrics are introduced to better understand the Hukou system on the one hand while exploring the socio-economic issues arising from the policy, including the economic behaviour or residents, fertility, care of older people, entrepreneurship, institutional premiums and gender wage differentials. Based on these investigations, the author advances constructive suggestions to inform policymaking, aiming to deepen market-oriented reform of the economic system and improve social welfare in China. The title will be a good reference for academics, students and policy makers interested in social policy, labour economics and especially China’s population and labour policy and Chinese economy and society.

There have been two “hands” exerting influence on China’s resource allocation and economic development: one is tangible (government intervention), and the other intangible (market regulation). This book focuses on a third factor, “another invisible hand,” which is social structure transformation. This two part study explores the process of China's social structure transformation while conducting a theoretical examination of its characteristics. The first part presents a theoretical analysis of the nature of social structure transformation and its economic consequences, both in general and within the Chinese context. The second part examines the transformation of urban and rural societies in contemporary China from different perspectives; including state-owned enterprises, laid-off urban workers, rural migrants, and rural industrialization. The book is written for scholars, researchers and students across the social sciences and area studies, including Sociology, Urban studies, Rural studies, Contemporary China studies and all those who are interested in economic development in China.

The Many Roads to Becoming Modern explores "collectivism" in the context of contemporary rural Chinese history. Following the history of a southern village from 1949 to the present, the author attempts to understand the origin and current state of "collectivity" in rural China. Along with other unique Chinese institutions, such as the Danwei (work-unit) system, rural collectivism is the basis of New China’s economic development. Previous academic research on rural collectivism in general is limited to scattered historical fragments, this book, however, is an empirical study of the actual historical process of rural collectivism. Focusing on presenting a mechanism for universal interpretation, the author illustrates the development of rural collectivism in southern Jiangsu using the historical research method, revealing the characteristics of the Chinese society as it is. Within seven chapters, the author explains in detail the core features and evolution mechanism of the collective model throughout different periods since the establishment of the People’s Republic of China. This book will be of interest to all levels of students and scholars who study contemporary China, modern Chinese history and collectivism, especially those who are concerned with rural area development and the land systems.

This book is a quantitative study of families in China that focuses specifically on the family burden coefficient. The aim is to provide a simple and accurate calculus for describing the level of family burden and thus provide guidance for policy. The topics explored include changes in China’s family and social policy, the complexity of definitions and concepts relating to the family, the theoretical and practical significance of the family burden coefficient, how that coefficient is measured based on population size at different scales, how measurement can be improved by factoring in types of family burden, and how families can be classified according to their burden profile. The relationship between the family life cycle and family burden coefficient is also addressed before policy solutions are discussed. This book will be of interest to students and scholars in sociology, Chinese studies, and family studies.

This next volume in the series will provide up to date Information and discussion on future approach to control several challenging Infectious Disease worldwide. The past decade has been highlighted by numerous advances in research of medical scientific knowledge. medical technology and the biological and diagnostic techniques-but somewhat less dramatic changes or improvement in management of medical conditions. This volume will address some of the emerging issues, challenges, and controversies in Infectious Diseases.