Beyond the May Fourth Paradigm

It has long been held that 1919's May Fourth Movement marked a decisive moment in the development of Chinese modernity, but a growing body of recent historical research has "decentered" May Fourth, necessitating a review of the shaping of Chinese modernity as a "product of dialogues and debates between, and the interplay of, a variety of actors and trends, both within and (certainly no less importantly) without the May Fourth camp," to quote editors Chow (U. of Illinois), Hon (State U. of New York at Geneseo), Ip (Oregon State U.), and Price (U. of California at Davis), who present 11 essays in pursuit of that goal. Topics addressed include literary debates in Republican China, 1919-1949; the theory and practice of women's rights in late-Qing Shanghai, 1843-1911; generational and cultural fissures concerning the politics of family reform in the May Fourth Movement; science and the search for national origins in the May Fourth era; and Buddhism, literature, and Chinese modernity. Annotation c2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Kai-wing Chow is professor of history and East Asian languages and cultures at the University of Illinois. Tze-ki Hon is visiting research fellow at the Modern East Asia Research Centre at Leiden University. Hung-yok Ip is associate professor in the history department at Oregon State University. Don C. Price is professor in the history department at the University of California.