Village Life in China: A Study in Sociology

The author gives a close sociological account of rural Chinese life, detailing physical and institutional features such as village layout, roads, wells, ferries, shops, theatres, schools, temples, markets, and cooperative arrangements. He examines family organization, gender roles, work routines, rites of passage including weddings, funerals, and New Year observances, and local mechanisms for mutual aid like loan societies and crop-watchers, alongside figures of village authority. Educational practices and the examination system receive special attention. The final section surveys social tensions and suggests how Christian mission and institutional reform might contribute to village regeneration; the text is supplemented by illustrations and a glossary.