Promotions - Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles 2015 - Social & Behavioral Sciences — Political Science — International Relations

Goodman (Chinese politics, Univ. of Sydney) has done a pioneering integration of numerous large, small, and emergent studies probing the meaning and identification of social class in contemporary China.  His book's strength is the exploration of the relationship between political and economic elites that has emerged during and after three decades of reform.  One of the author's core findings is that class in China needs to be approached as a study less from a statistical category that focuses on economic inequality or as income-specific, and more from a sociological perspective that probes the intergenerational transfer of status, power, and wealth.  Goodman provides a concise overview of how social stratification changed within the revolutionary and reform eras.  The chapter on the rise of Chinas middle class with all the sundry difficulties in trying to conceptualize the phenomenon is worth the price of the book.Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above.

Jeffreys (Chinese studies, Univ. of Technology, Sydney) and Yu (Chinese media and culture, Univ. of New South Wales, Australia) have put together a solid, informative overview of the structural forces and psychological realities of Chinese sexual awakening, discussing in satisfying richness the changing social and behavioral trends within social classes and sex orientations.  One of the book's many strengths are the numerous surveys on marriage rates, criteria for selecting a mate, importance of sexual intimacy, and shifting attitudes toward homosexuality.  The book challenges the western-inspired sexual revolution narrative by situating Chinas changing sexual culture in the socio-political history of the PRC.  One of the core findings is the intense practicality men and women bring to any consideration of marriage.  China has yet to develop a full-fledged dating culture, whereby men and women date for fun while waiting for a more opportune time to marry.  For most, dating is a serious undertaking organized around the search for a spouse; sexual intimacy is reserved for a possible future mate.  The authors also provide a most satisfying discussion of changing attitudes toward homosexuality.  This may be the most comprehensive summation of recent research available on the topic.  A delightful synthesis of contemporary Chinese sexual attitudes and behaviors.Summing Up: Highly recommended. Most academic levels/libraries.