Cultural Reverse I

The book proposes a new academic concept, "Cultural Reverse" (文化反哺), referring to the phenomenon that the older generation started to learn from the younger generation since the 1980s in China, and introducing many aspects of Chinese inter-generational relations.

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The phenomenon of "Cultural Reverse" (文化反哺) emerged in the 1980s after China's reform and opening up. In this era of rapid social change, the older generation started to learn from the younger generation across many fields, in a way that is markedly similar to the biological phenomenon of "The old crow that keeps barking, fed by their children" from ancient Chinese poetry. In this book, the author discusses this new academic concept and other aspects of Chinese intergenerational relations.

In the first volume, the author explains some popular social science theories about generations, traces the history of Chinese intergenerational relationships, and, through focus group interviews with 77 families in mainland China, comprehensively discusses the younger generation's values, attitudes, behavior patterns, and the ways in which they differ from their ancestors’.

The book will be a valuable resource for scholars of Chinese sociology, and also general readers interested in contemporary Chinese society.