Understanding Chinese Society

Understanding Chinese Society, 2nd Edition, is an introductory textbook that examines the major social issues and institutions shaping contemporary China. Edited by Xiaowei Zang, the volume brings together an international team of scholars to explore modern social life.

The textbook addresses broad areas of social organization and public life, examining family structures, education, hierarchy, and ethnic diversity alongside work, media, and the legal system. For the 2015 second edition, coverage was updated throughout and expanded with chapters on urbanization, the environment, and civil society.

Intended for students in Chinese Studies, Asian sociology, and Chinese Culture and Society, the text incorporates learning aids such as a chronology of the People's Republic of China.