Women, Sport and Society in Modern China: Holding up More than Half the Sky (Sport in the Global Society)

Drawing on Chinese sources hitherto unavailable in the West including official documents and interviews with top athletes, the author explores the rise of Chinese super sportswomen and their relationship with politics, culture and society before and during the Cultural Revolution and through China's transition to a market economy. In Every Olympics Since 1988 Women Have Increased Their Representation Over Men. Their Extraordinary Performances Have Thrust Chinese Women Into The Global Limelight And Sparked Considerable Interest, Not To Mention Controversy, With Accusations Of Drug Violations, And Yet There Remains A Paucity Of Analytical Literature On Chinese Elite Women's Sport Not Only In China But Throughout The World. Drawing On Chinese Sources Hitherto Unavailable In The West, Official Documents And Interviews With Top Athletes, Dong Jinxia Explores The Rise Of The Chinese Super-sportswomen And Their Relationship With Politics, Culture And Society Before And During The Cultural Revolution And Through China's Transition To A Market Economy. This Readable Work Will Appeal To Students Of Sports Studies, Journalists And General Readers Fascinated By The Rise Of The Chinese Women Super-athletes.--jacket. Women, Society And Elite Sport In The Early Years Of The New China -- Women, Society And Elite Sport In The New China Between 1957 And 1965 -- Womean, Society And Elite Sport During The Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) -- Women, Society And Elite Sport In The First Decade Of Economic Reform (1979-1989) -- Women, Society And Elite Sport In The Transition To A Market Economy (1990-98) -- Olympic Success, Drug Violeations And Elite Women's Sport In The New China -- New Women For A New Age: Conquest And Confrontation -- Successful Sportswomen -- Mobility, Stratification And Sportswomen In The New China -- Gender Relations And Sport In The New China: Continuity, Change And Gender Culture -- Epilogue: Elite Women's Sport In China: Briding The Past And The Future. Dong Jinxia. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [293]-324) And Index. "In every Olympics since 1988 women have increased their representation over men. Their extraordinary performances have thrust Chinese women into the global limelight and sparked considerable interest, not to mention controversy, with accusations of drug violations, and yet there remains a paucity of analytical literature on Chinese elite women's sport not only in China but throughout the world." "Drawing on Chinese sources hitherto unavailable in the West, official documents and interviews with top athletes, Dong Jinxia explores the rise of the Chinese super-sportswomen and their relationship with politics, culture and society before and during the Cultural Revolution and through China's transition to a market economy. This readable work will appeal to students of sports studies, journalists and general readers fascinated by the rise of the Chinese women super-athletes."--BOOK JACKET