International Workshop on “From Accumulation of Data to the Creation of Grounded Theories: Challenges of Sociological China Study”

Since the beginning of 2000s, China has opened her society to foreign experts to do their survey research mostly in collaboration with local partners in China. Now Chinese sociologists have come to accumulate huge database for the further development of sociological analysis but it is still rare for them to create new perspectives to tackle traditional concepts/theories/frameworks. In this international workshop, experts of sociological China studies are invited who have conducted their own chronological (time series or panel) survey to get some new findings that might challenge conventional knowledge of China and sociology to discuss what can be done for the further development of sociological China study.

Time: 14:00-17:00, 13th of March, 2017 (Mon.)

Venue: Main Conference Room (3rd Floor), Institute for Advanced Studies on Asia, the University of Tokyo

Speakers:
Prof. Martin K. Whyte (Professor Emeritus, Department of Sociology, Harvard University)
http://scholar.harvard.edu/martinwhyte/home
Prof. Michael H.H. Hsiao (Distinguished Research Fellow, IOS, Academia Sinica)
http://www.ios.sinica.edu.tw/ios/E/fellow/hsinhuangmichaelhsiao/
Prof. Tony H.W. Tam (Professor, Department of Sociology, Chinese University of Hong Kong)
http://www.cuhk.edu.hk/soc/TAM_Tony_Hong-wing.html
Prof. Shigeto Sonoda (Professor, III and IASA, University of Tokyo)
http://shigetosonoda.net/

Supported by Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A) “From Accumulation of Data Archive to Creation of Models for Social Change: Challenges of Third Wave of China Four-city Survey” (Project ID: 25243001)
Hosted by Institute for Advanced Studies on Asia, the University of Tokyo

Program

14:00-14:05 Welcoming Remark
Shigeto Sonoda
14:05-14:45 Keynote Speech
“The Puzzles Surrounding Chinese Popular Attitudes toward Rising Income Inequality”
Martin K. Whyte
14:45-15:15 Report (1)
“Harnessing the Theoretical Leverage of Contrast in Survey Research for China Studies”
Tony H. W. Tam
15:15-15:45 Report (2)
“Accomplishments of Third Wave of Four-city Survey, 1998-2014”
Shigeto Sonoda
15:45-16:05 Comments
Michael H. H. Hsiao
16:05-16:15 Q & A
(Chair) Shigeto Sonoda
16:15-17:00 Roundtable
(Chair) Shigeto Sonoda