New Books in Sociology

Becky Yang Hsu, "The Extraordinary in the Mundane: Family and Forms of Community in China" (Columbia UP, 2024)

Apr 5, 2025

Becky Yang Hsu, an Associate Professor of Sociology at Georgetown University, dives into the dynamic interplay of family and community in China. She discusses how individuals navigate strict governmental controls through informal social ties, highlighting compelling cases such as a mother's advocacy for neurodivergent children and unique burial rituals that strengthen community bonds. Hsu's insights reveal how contemporary Chinese society redefines familial roles and cultural practices, showcasing the extraordinary impact of everyday actions in times of change.

49:00

Episode guests

Becky Yang Hsu

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

The exploration of informal social ties in China showcases how families creatively navigate societal challenges through innovative community interactions and advocacy efforts.

The concept of descending familism reveals a significant shift in family dynamics as younger generations increasingly influence traditional roles and expectations in contemporary Chinese society.

Deep dives

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Intro

3min

Transforming the Ordinary: Community and Family in China

17min

Transforming Family Dynamics: The Shift of Focus to Children in China

5min

Rituals of Love and Legacy

11min

Reciprocity and Cultural Resources: Enhancing Community Well-Being in China

5min

The Cultural Significance of Grave Sweeping in Familial Relationships

3min

Exploring Hope and Community in Contemporary China

2min

How do individuals address serious challenges in a context where organized gatherings are subject to strict government control? This new edited volume brings together a diverse group of scholars to explore the many ways people in China self-organize and create varied forms of coordination to solve important problems.

Through compelling, detail-rich case studies, The Extraordinary in the Mundane (Columbia UP, 2024) shows that family structures and networks deeply shape these modes of association. Because the public-private dichotomy does not resonate with many people in China, they rely on informal social ties, not formal organizations or state agencies, to confront personal challenges. Chapters present vivid ethnographic portraits that consider both positive and negative aspects of community formation. A woman with an autistic child creates an organization to advocate for inclusion of neurodivergent children in public schools. A trainee in a psychological counseling course finds mutual support among other participants. A boy is taken by his father to an internet addiction treatment camp that aims to restructure family interactions. A woman in her seventies shows off the burial clothes she prepared for herself, to the admiration of a group of friends. Offering a glimpse into the unofficial realities that often remain off the record, this book provides a wide-ranging and timely examination of the varieties of civic action in contemporary China.

Becky Yang Hsu is Associate Professor of Sociology at Georgetown University. Her research interests include morality, institutions, and culture, and is currently studying happiness and mourning in China. More details about her research can be found here.

Yadong Li is a socio-cultural anthropologist-in-training. He is registered as a PhD student at Tulane University. His research interests lie at the intersection of economic anthropology, medical anthropology, hope studies, and the anthropology of borders and frontiers. More details about his scholarship and research interests can be found here.

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