Journal of Shanghai University (Social Science Edition)

On Social Contradictions

2009, 16(4): 5-19.

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Abstract： Over the past one or two decades, China has been in a period of social transformation. With the enhancement of urbanization level, urban maladies are exacerbating. Especially, the global economic crisis triggered by the financial crisis, is bringing about the multiplicity and complexity of social contradictions, which increases the price and cost of social, economic development in China. It will depend on our ability to resolve social contradictions to weaken the financial crisis, by social management skills, so as to get rid of it as quickly as possible. Under the new situation, a large number of social contradictions belong to the ones on the premise of identical fundamental interests, which, in nature, are contradictions among the people or the contradictions between the public power and the private right, or the contradictions between the citizen and its society, rather than antagonistic contradictions. By deeprooted reasons, chiefly, there are following social contradictions: contradictions between the rich and the poor; contradictions between officials and people; contradictions between the government and the society; contradictions between all kinds of culture. All these contradictions are characteristic of following ten aspects: (1) from the viewpoint of causes, possessing complexity, comprehensiveness, and multifactors; (2) from the viewpoint of process, showing burstiness and agility; (3) from the viewpoint of scale, having a tendency to increase, and being full of large groups; (4) from the viewpoint of organization, having tightness; (5) from the viewpoint of intensity, displaying a tendency toward violence; (6) from the viewpoint of means, coming forth intelligence; (7) from the viewpoint of resolving processes, embodying sustainability; (8) from the viewpoint of magnitude, being global; (9) from the viewpoint of consequences, being dangerous; (10) from the viewpoint of periodicity, being intermittent, periodic and thematic. In order to resolve abovementioned social contradictions, it is necessary to bring into use a variety of skills, including ones of such scopes as law, policy, economy, morality, administration, religion, as well as the regulation about rural people. More importantly, it is also vital, by virtue of reform spirit, to make research for new skills of resolving social contradictions. First, learn how to do mass work and social work. This should be our fine tradition, but under the new situation, it is not only to be reemphasized, but also to be developed. On the one hand, correct the wrong view of the masses so as to put right their position; and on the other hand, understand better the masses and be friends with them, only by doing which, can we suit the remedy to the case. At the same time, believe in and rely on the masses, and use their language when doing works about them. And also, make a full use of their organization and take sociology as a theoretical guidance. Secondly, learn how to use extensive discussion to resolve social contradictions. In doing so, such methods as comparison, identification and debate should be used so as to improve fully the efficiency of resolving social contradictions. Thirdly, learn how to use extensive mediation to resolve social contradictions. While an enthusiastic team in mediation should be established, a threedimension network of mediation should be formed, in which, there are both core and periphery. What's more, build a system of mediation and continue to improve working methods. Since harmonious society doesn't mean society without contradictions, nor society without confrontations, contradictions in society are universal. The law of social evolution is the form, resolving and combination of the contradictions between the two parties.

Confliction, Predicament and Introspection: The Basic Body of
Community Administration and the Construction of Civil Society

2009, 16(4): 20-31.

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Abstract： At the present, in the basic bodyconstruction of community administration, not only do social contradiction and confliction focus on the relation between owners committees and property companies, but also appear the friction and dispute between owners committees and neighborhood committees. While owners committees face such problems as assembly, preparation, operation and rights, property companies witness so many complaints about poor services and bad manners that they are often describes by the press as "the troubleoverrun area". The survey shows that the 90 per cent of the owners in Shanghai are discontented with both the current situation of owner committees and the administration of property companies. At the same time, neighborhood committees become more and more professional, institutional and administrative, which not only limit their autonomous function, but also, due to the "mismatch" of administrative deputy, change their nature as the organizational carriers of community administration and democratic development, turning it into the predicament of intension and dissonance. Under the current system of government, in the process of the "game playing" that represents the deep order of the urban lowlevel power, the administrative might is always the "bottleneck" of the severe hysteresis of construction for civil society. By virtue of the above casestudy of the contradiction, confliction and predicament in the basic structure of community administration in Shanghai in recent years, the author concludes that the community construction, due to the structure limitation by market power and institutional factors, as well as the confliction between the ideal target of social administration and the intension of the present system and framework, fills with erratic elements, not only in insufficiency of the driving force in community administration but also in absence of the way to transform. Therefore, it is necessary for the basic body of community administration to have a series of reforms such as supporting policy, new system, regulated structure, innovated mechanism, coordinated resources and relocated role or function so as to gain the substantial breakthrough and innovation in system, mechanism and ideology.

The Community Mediation Improvement under the
Theory of Community SelfOrganizing

2009, 16(4): 32-39.

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Abstract： Under the current condition of the community mediation confronted with lots of difficulties, if the existent system of the community mediation cannot be aware of the underlying causes of its weakness so as to take a detailed, effective measure to improve, not only can the capability and efficiency in mediating not be enhanced, but also the mediation will lost its informal, flexible, folk characters. Since the community mediation improvement depends on the establishment of community selforganizing mechanism, a basic, systematic innovation should be undergoing under the guidance of the community selforganizing theory. First, much effort should be made at constructing the community selforganization and harmonious community, including the regulation of existent development concepts, the guidance to the capacity training of the community selforganization, the insurance of the predominant law role of the community selforganization in the community administration, the strengthening of the interaction, exchange and negotiation of the community residents, and the founding of the "new urban village". Next, more attention should be paid to the perfection of the mediation legislation, to the respect of selforganization, selfeducation and selfregulation, and, in a degree, to the admittance of the community autonomy. At the same time, an account should be taken into the formulation of Law of the People' s Republic of China on Mediating, which prescribes systematically the related mediating items and acknowledges the legal efficiency of the community mediating agreement. Finally, a true implement should be made of the community selforganizing mechanism and of the community election of opening, equality and democracy so as to make the community mediating committee a mass, representative, autonomous organization.

Limited but Efficient Government:
The Target and Route of the Chinese Government Reform(School of International Business and Management,

2009, 16(4): 40-52.

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Abstract： A retrospection of the 30year process of the Chinese reform and openingup, even the 60year history in China, can find out the fact that the Chinese government reform has been following such a route that the systematical regulation is always emphasized to seek for the new mode of economic development, since the central government always faces the financial pressure that produces its driving force in reformation. During the early years of the new China, in order to prove the superiority of the new regime, the government chose the administrative system of highcentralized power, and, at the same time, used planned economy to develop heavy industry and chemical industry, thus establishing rapidly the comparatively completed industrial system. Up to the end of the Cultural Revolution, faced with the nearly collapsed national economy, the government chose the administrative system of decentralization. While the target of limited government was determined, the socialist market economy was developed by way of the economic system reformation. And the government was separated from market so successfully that market outburst unpredictable vitality and economy developed rapidly. Although, by virtue of the 20year reform and openingup, the financial pressure of the central government was relieved, the rapid economic development didn' t make everything all right. Since economy, especially social development, demands on a new, higher level for the government, the establishment of a limited but efficient government becomes the new target of the government reform. Accordingly, the mode of economy growth changes from lowquality to both overall consideration and scientific development, that is, from "both fast and good" to "both good and fast". The fundamental goal of this new round of reform is to construct a harmonious society. In order to achieve that goal, not only do the function and institution of the central government require regulating but also the assessment system for political achievement is necessary to be perfected, thus ensuring that limited resources can be applied to the public requirement of the people, and to the health progress of national economy.

Emperor Hanwu: From Historical Character to Fictional Figure

2009, 16(4): 53-71.

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(School of Liberal Arts, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China)Abstract： Emperor Hanwu is great monarch in the Chinese history, who is much concerned about both by history and by legend. While the history focuses on his ability to govern the country and command the military, the legend emphasizes his anecdotes in the aspects of being immortal and domestic marriage. As a typical character in the Taoist fiction, he is described as the "failure in being immortal because of lustfulness", which embodies the adaption of the legend. This change of Emperor Hanwu' s figure is due to the multiple causes in the Han and Wei dynasties, such as telepathy, faith in gods as well as adaption by Taoism. The transformation of Emperor Hanwu from the historical character through the legendary hero to the fictional figure is representative in the history of literature.

Ou Yangxiu' s Cultural Character Featured by Embracing Rationality

2009, 16(4): 72-84.

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Abstract： Ou Yangxiu' s cultural character featured by embracing rationality can be summed up as follows: (1) while being open to the reality, acknowledge and respect the existent fact; (2) keep a steadfast conviction, and possess a highconscious, independent reasoning as well as a critical reflection; (3) go out of the extreme thinking mode characteristic of binary opposition; (4) being not exclusive, treat others as equals, and comprehend and respect others' life choice; (5) be aware of selflimitation, and brave to acknowledge mistakes and selfdenial. Ou yangxiu' s above cultural characters not only acquire his brilliant achievements but also produce a direct, deep influence on the innovative movement of the verse in the North Song Dynasty, determining its developing tendency as well as the ultimate success. These cultural characters, being ideal, practical, critical, allaround, embraced and opening, even in today' s society, are worthy of studying and inheritance.

A New Interpretation of Han Yu and His Poems by the
Poets Advocating Song Poems in the Late Qing Dynasty

2009, 16(4): 85-95.

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Abstract： The poets advocating Song poems in the late Qing Dynasty, by starting with Su Shi and Huang Tingjian, and then, tracing back to the tradition of Han Yu and Du Pu, finish constructing the poetic idea of combining Tang styles with Song styles, which breaks, since the Ming Dynasty, the dominant situation of advocating the poetic style in the prosperous period of the Tang Dynasty, and reestablishes Han Yu' s important position as a link between past and future in the poetic history. While dong so, they give a new interpretation of orthodox Confucianism, ideal personality and poetic styles in Han Yu' s poems, endowing with a profound historical connotation and time spirit. This multiplelevel interpretation of Han Yu and his poems, not only emphasizes his importance in the history of literature, but also underlines his value of Confucian philosophy displayed in the specific context of both internal and external "troubles" in the late Qing Dunasty, thus communicating their opinion of poetic innovation and progress as well as their awareness of potential perils when facing the reality. In a word, while the poets advocating Song poems, by this interpretation, manifest their poetic idea and political ideology, Han Yu' s poems, in this process, display a new connotation and value.

Bearing Witness: Chinese Urban Cinema in
the Era of the "Transformation"　

2009, 16(4): 96-113.

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Abstract： Since the early 1990s the landscape of film culture in Mainland China has been radically reshaped. While the stateowned studios have been faced with the dire reality of financial and ideological constraints exacerbated by the topdown institutional reforms of the middecade, there has emerged both within and outside of the studio walls an alternative or "minor cinema". This cinema is largely represented by what the author and other critics call the "Urban Generation" filmmakers and their supporters, followers, and fans. The actual far from "minor" significance of this urban cinema stems not so much from its recent arrival as from its singular preoccupation with the destruction and reconstruction of the social fabric and urban identities of post1989 China. The badge of independence, with its troubled baggage, is perhaps the single most important attribute of the Urban Generation. Many younger filmmakers, however, have identified themselves at the outset as institutionally and financially independent. They have resigned from assigned jobs in stateowned studios, engaged in underground lowbudget productions, and participated in international film festivals without official sanction. In this sense, the key difference between the Urban Generation and the earlier generations of filmmakers, who were trained and employed by the state is defined by their different social and professional identities as well as by their aesthetic outlooks. The advent of the "amateur cinema" as a significant ramification of the Urban Generation cannot be separated from a decadelong struggle of the new documentary movement, which has run a parallel, at times intersecting, course alongside the experimental narrative film. In terms of technology and method, instead of the bulky film camera it is the video camera and, more recently, digital video and editing software that has served as the critical catalyst for the conception and dissemination of "amateur cinema" as a democratic form of film practice. Finally, the author makes a sketch of a fastemerging cineclub community and alternative film spectatorship around the turn of the century in part to underscore the broad empirical range as well as conceptual possibility of the Urban Generation cinema as both a descriptive and analytical category. As forces that are dispersed yet increasingly joining together through the Internet and touring programs, these localized small groups are coalescing into an informal grassroots movement. The intimate movie bars, the nomadic style of the cineclub operations, and the diversity of the chosen film forms and formats (especially the shorts and DV film) encapsulate this grassroots movement as a "minor cinema" that potentially can reshape the structure of film knowledge and practice.

The Chinese "Urban Generation" Cinema in the
Era of the "Transformation": The Cultural Orientation
of the Chinese "Festival Film" in the Era of Globalization (

2009, 16(4): 114-135.

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