This book presents a view of social life in China and discusses different methods for studying contemporary China as a tool for introducing students to the study of popular culture. Through a diverse set of case studies, it introduces readers to a wide range of issues facing Chinese society. Table of contents: 1 Introduction PART ONE LITERATURE, THE CINEMA, AND AUTHORITY 2 Hand-Copied Entertainment Fiction from the Cultural Revolution 3 Popular Cinema and Political Thought in Post-Mao China: Reflections on Official Pronouncements, Film, and the Film Audience PART TWO MARRIAGE AND THE FAMILY 4 "How Come You Aren't Divorced Yet?" 5 Love and Marriage in North Chinese Peasant Operas 6 My Mother's House PART THREE RELIGION, ETHNICITY, AND PROPRIETY 7 The Catholic Church in China: Cultural Contradictions, Institutional Survival, and Religious Renewal 8 Recycling Rituals: Politics and Popular Culture in Contemporary Rural China 9 Pride and Prejudice: Subei People in Contemporary Shanghai 10 The Persistence of Propriety in the 1980s PART FOUR SOCIAL CURRENTS 11 Guerrilla Interviewing Among the Getihu 12 Value Change Among Post-Mao Youth: The Evidence from Survey Data