Internationalizing the Social Sciences in China: The Disciplinary Development of Sociology at Tsinghua University (East-West Crosscurrents in Higher Education)

The current social reality and changing global forces and spaces are inspiring the rethinking, refining, and re-empowering of the world social sciences to broach the frontiers of human knowledge, enhance mutual understanding across cultures and civilizations, and shape a better world. Taking Tsinghua University’s sociology as a case, this book concentrates on how internationalization shapes disciplinary development in a global context of asymmetrical academic relations. This inquiry is set amidst China’s dramatic economic, social, political, and cultural transformations, as well as the institutional reforms in this Chinese flagship university. This book seeks to probe how Chinese and Western knowledge, institutions, and cultures are integrated in the ongoing process of internationalization and concentrates on the disciplinary evolution of Tsinghua’s sociology―intellectually, institutionally, and culturally―drawing on top-down higher education policy and bottom-up perceptions and experiences of Tsinghua’s social scientists. This book highlights that higher education internationalization is an evolving process whose advanced phase would require Chinese social scientists to bring China to the world. It is time for Tsinghua University to reassess the long-term impact of internationalization on its academic disciplines and provide sufficient support for the development of the social sciences.This book will attract academics, practitioners, and postgraduate students interested in higher education internationalization, international academic relations, global constellation and distribution of academic power, academic knowledge production, and the development and intellectual influences of the Chinese social sciences. Foreword 8 Preface 11 Acknowledgments 14 Contents 16 Abbreviations 20 List of Figures 21 List of Tables 22 1 Internationalizing the Social Sciences in China: An Introduction 23 1.1 Statement of the Problem 23 1.1.1 The Evolution of the Global Social Sciences 23 1.1.2 The Internationalization of Higher Education in China 25 1.1.3 The International Visibility and Influence of China’s Social Sciences 28 1.1.4 In the Spotlight: The Global Vision and Achievements of Tsinghua University 30 1.1.5 Opportunities and Challenges for Tsinghua’s Social Sciences 32 1.2 Research Questions 33 1.3 Methodological Considerations 34 1.3.1 Rationales for Adopting the Case Study 34 1.3.2 Rationales for Adopting Tsinghua’s Sociology as the Case 36 1.4 The Significance of the Study 41 1.4.1 Theoretical Significance 41 1.4.2 Practical Significance 43 1.5 Structure of the Book 44 References 45 2 The Evolution of the Social Sciences and Global Academic Relations: A Theoretical Reflection 50 2.1 Studies on the Internationalization of Higher Education 51 2.1.1 Understanding the Internationalization of Higher Education 51 2.1.2 Internationalization Versus Globalization 55 2.2 Studies on Academic Disciplines and the Social Sciences 57 2.2.1 Comprehending Academic Disciplines 57 2.2.2 Classification of Academic Disciplines 59 2.2.3 Theories of the Academic Discipline 61 2.3 A Review of International Academic Relations in the Social Sciences 65 2.3.1 The Uneven Internationalization of the Social Sciences 65 2.3.2 Challenging Euro-American Domination 72 2.3.3 A Multi-polarized Academic World 74 2.3.4 A Revolution in the Global Social Sciences? 76 2.4 Summary 80 References 80 3 The Internationalization of the Social Sciences in Chinese Universities: A Historical and Critical Perspective 88 3.1 The Social Sciences in Imperial China (1840–1912): The Emerging Disciplines 88 3.1.1 Western Hegemony and the Spread of Western Learning 90 3.1.2 Chinese Translations of Foreign Books 91 3.1.3 Overseas-Trained Chinese Intellectuals 93 3.1.4 The Development of Modern Universities and the Discipline System 95 3.2 Social Sciences in the ROC Period (1912–1949): Europeanization and Americanization 97 3.2.1 Socio-political, Cultural, and Educational Backgrounds of the Development of the Social Sciences 97 3.2.2 Developing the Social Sciences Under Western Influences 100 3.2.3 Indigenizing the Social Sciences in China 103 3.2.4 Achievements and Dilemmas in the Social Sciences in the ROC Period 107 3.3 Social Sciences in the PRC During the Mao Period (1949–1976): The Soviet Model 108 3.3.1 The Soviet Model 109 3.3.2 Ten Lost Years 112 3.4 Social Sciences in the PRC in the Post-Mao Period (After 1976): Internationalization and Indigenization 113 3.4.1 The Reconstruction of the Social Sciences in Chinese Universities 113 3.4.2 The Contemporary Internationalization of the Social Sciences in Chinese Universities 116 3.4.3 The Indigenous Response to the Western Social Sciences 118 3.5 Summary 120 References 121 4 Internationalizing the Disciplinary Organization of Sociology at Tsinghua 124 4.1 The Disciplinary Organization of Tsinghua’s Sociology: An Institutional Snapshot 125 4.2 World-Class University Policies and Internationalization Strategies 127 4.2.1 Phase I: Projects 211 and 985 127 4.2.2 Phase II: Double First-Class University Plan 130 4.3 Institutional Isomorphism 131 4.3.1 Mimetic Isomorphism 134 4.3.2 Normative Isomorphism 138 4.3.3 Coercive Isomorphism 140 4.4 Institutional Heterogeneity 143 4.4.1 Chinese Characteristics 144 4.4.2 The Tsinghua Style 146 4.4.3 Features of the Department 150 4.5 Summary 152 References 153 5 Internationalization and Indigenization: Knowledge Production and Dissemination of Tsinghua’s Sociology 156 5.1 Examining Knowledge Production and Dissemination 157 5.1.1 The Sites of Knowledge Production and Circulation 157 5.1.2 Research Scopes and Territories 159 5.1.3 Theoretical Affiliations and Originality 163 5.1.4 Methodological Spaces 168 5.2 The Dialectical Relations in Intellectual Evolution 169 5.2.1 The Language Used: Chinese or English 170 5.2.2 Intellectual Spaces: Internationalization and Indigenization Internationalization 173 5.2.3 Asymmetric Patterns: Center and Periphery 178 5.3 Summary 181 References 182 6 Internationalizing the Disciplinary Culture of Tsinghua’s Sociology 185 6.1 The Conceptual Framework of Disciplinary Culture 185 6.2 Theme 1: International Scholars? 186 6.3 Theme 2: International Academic Activities 188 6.4 Theme 3: Research 191 6.5 Theme 4: Teaching 193 6.6 Theme 5: Disciplinary Development 196 6.6.1 Academic Development and Social Commitment 196 6.6.2 National Significance and International Frontiers 197 6.6.3 National/Local Contributions and Global Influences 198 6.7 Summary 200 References 201 7 Discussions and Conclusion 203 7.1 Organizational Evolution: Three Circles with Inherent Opportunities and Complexities 204 7.2 Intellectual Evolution: Fragmentation and Integration in Sociological Knowledge 207 7.3 Cultural Evolution: The Coexistence of Ever-Increasing Disquiet and Expectations 213 7.4 Concluding Remarks 217 References 219 Appendix A 223 Methodology and Method 223 Qualitative Research and Methodological Considerations 223 Rationales for Using Qualitative Research 223 Qualitative Research Design 225 Methods in Fieldwork for Data Collection 227 Semi-structured Interviews 227 Participant Observations 229 Document Review 230 Data Analysis and Report 231 Data Analysis Approaches 231 Data Reporting 232 Ethical Issues 232 Summary 232 Appendix B 236 Semi-structured Interview Guide 236 Appendix C 238 Curriculum Schedule 238 Curriculum Schedule of the Department of Sociology for Undergraduates (2015 Fall Term) 238 Curriculum Schedule of the Department of Sociology for Graduates (2015 Fall Term) 239