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Xiao San – Empowerment of Chinese women or keeping them 'small'? |
06-09-2012 |
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Among several slang terms that mean 'mistress', xiao san (小三, 'little third') has caught most public attention in recent years. While Chinese society regards 'xiao san' as a negative modern development, it also accepts it as nature outcome of the expansion of the market economy. The vocabulary of xiao san also indicates an impossible adaptation of traditional values to the new structural social conditions in China.
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Jianbing Ren, 'pancake people' – A Chinese version of a global phenomenon |
28-05-2012 |
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Named after the popular street-food, the slang term 'jianbing ren' presents the impulsiveness and shallowness of the modern capitalist minds. While it is definitely not a phenomenon unique for China, it is interesting to see how it is interpreted and discussed in the contemporary Chinese landscape.
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A holiday invasion – Why are Chinese enthusiastically adopting new festive events? |
19-11-2011 |
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A Chinese lunar calendar full of traditional holidays, new special PRC dates with a nationalistic flavor, Western holidays which are becoming attractive, international dates that make China globally aware and now even special new Chinese traditions invented. What makes Chinese people consume holidays like they were man tou?
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Yueguangzu - The face of a bitter-sweet modern reality |
03-11-2011 |
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It's hard to feel sorry for them since they clearly have money to spend, but the modern consumerism pressures experienced by them shouldn't be easily discounted. Meet the 'yueguangzu', Chinese that cannot keep their income safe in the bank.
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The Dilemma of Quality Education in China |
10-10-2011 |
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Allowing kids to enjoy so-called liberal values of creativity or measuring one's abilities through stressful exams? China's education system is choosing to shift towards the first option, but when a child's 'quality' is called in question, aren't exams the only valid measurement?
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The Chinese Middle Class - Agents of Change or Harmony? |
27-09-2011 |
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There are different predictions among scholars concerning the prospects of the Chinese political system, though most people agree that the Chinese middle-class is a good representative of present and future trends. While some see the growing autonomy of the middle class as an indicator of the limitation of state power and the rise of a civil society, other scholars regard the middle-class as an agent of political stability and a loyal partner of the Chinese state.
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Chinese people, English language - A love-fear relationship |
29-07-2011 |
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By many Chinese, English is considered a personal weak spot, a source of frustration or a skill that isn't realized to its great extent. Is it the lack of oral practice, the conservative teaching methods, or a problem that has to do with elements within the Chinese culture and Chinese 'nature'?
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07-07-2011 |
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Immense changes have taken place in the Chinese society throughout the Mao and Deng regimes up to present days, though in many domains the State in China is still quite effective in taking hold of the society and initiating behavior changes.
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表面上 - The nice surface-face of China |
29-06-2011 |
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'On the surface', '表面上' biaomianshang, is a term that in recent years is strongly associated a phenomena that takes place in many domains in China, from government policies, to construction works and fast food dishes. When something has a nice appearance, is intended to be eye catching and give the false illusion that the inside is also valuable, then 表面上 can be used in a negative way.
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Rising Divorce rates in China– Is marriage the grave of love? |
05-06-2011 |
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Divorce rates in China are on the rise. Although this phenomenon is often associated with modernization and a capitalist lifestyle it could also be suggested that some traditional Chinese conceptions actually promote the deterioration of the marriage institute.
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Peixun 培训 - Extracurricular training, modern self-cultivation |
12-05-2011 |
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Filling up numerous commercial ads or bulletin boards, the word '培训', (peixun - training, teaching, cultivating) has become more abundant than street snacks, indicating that in contemporary China people continuously assess their own capabilities, getting in shape for present-future career and personal challenges.
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Waffle opening in the food market – A new flavor which dazzles students |
25-04-2011 |
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A 60 years old lady has recently joined a bustling food alley in one of the cities in Shandong province. Surrounded by bao zi (filled steam bun) stands and restaurants of la mian (spicy noodle soup), yang rou tang (lamb meat soup) and tudou fen (potato noodles soup), she offers a new snack - Sweet waffle. The success of the new taste was completely unprecedented...
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Approaching the 'Second Child' – Future plan, motives and public demand |
17-04-2011 |
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Speculations are becoming more and more concrete, as the 12th Five Year Plan of the Chinese government indicated that the second child (ertai 二胎) might be allowed in the near future. While government officials to abolish birth control completely, they also know that many families won't necessary rush to have their second child.
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Christmas in China – Who, Where and Why? |
02-01-2011 |
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Christmas is becoming a major event in China. Considering the small proportions of Christians in the Chinese population, China is perhaps the country were Christmas is most celebrated as a secular holiday. But can the wide acknowledgement of Christmas in China really be considered as a true Christmas celebration?
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Lost in Translation? |
19-10-2010 |
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English slogans for Chinese products are often directed at Chinese customers, who appreciate western sophistication, even when such titles are actually funny and meaningless English sentences.
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Ermo (二嫫) - Women’s Independence, Men’s Impotence |
21-05-2010 |
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The fascinating 1994 movie 'Ermo' 二嫫, discusses the story of a peasant woman, Ermo, in her quest to join the modern capitalist race. Ermo's initiative is induced by her veteran husband's metaphoric and physical impotence.
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Guanxi and Amauru, the Driving Force of Social Interactions in China and Japan? |
10-05-2010 |
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There some common features in the Japanese sentiment amae and the Chinese practice of guanxi. However, while guanxi is often linked to a collectivist Chinese society, amae is a more universalistic concept that can perhaps be understood better in the west. Through amae the emotional root of guanxi can perhaps also become more comprehensible.
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Confucianism – New Agent of Modernity? |
01-04-2010 |
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Confucianism (儒家思想) nowadays isn't being revived only in a nostalgic fashion, but is also being modified into a value system justifying China's unique form of capitalism.
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