Sociology in China: Diversification within bounds, indigenization without decolonization

This article aims to offer a critical overview of sociology in mainland China from its late 19th-century origins to the present. By blending historical contextualization with content analysis, I chart the distinctive trajectory of Chinese sociology with reference to predominant influences from the state and American sponsorship. While witnessing a diversification of research topics, indigenization has been central to Chinese sociology ever since its inception. The recent controversy over indigenization as a “pseudo-problem” is underpinned by the broader relationship of Chinese sociologists with the state. Concomitantly, decolonial scholarship has been largely absent in Chinese sociology. Instead of epistemic critique, Chinese sociologists mostly pursue indigenization as a mean to “catch up” with the West or valorize traditional culture. After noting the dominance of professional over public sociology, I conclude by outlining some opportunities and challenges facing Chinese sociology, which revolve around its hierarchical structures at the institutional, regional, and gender levels.