Series:

Chinese Studies Scholars Oral History Project

Topic:

Chinese Studies

Biographical Note:

Professor of sociology, University of California, Berkeley

Interviewee:

Gold, Thomas B.

Persons Present:

Thomas B. Gold and Jianye He

Place Conducted:

Social Science Building, University of California, Berkeley

Supporting Documents:

Records relating to the interview are located in the office of the UCLA Library’s Center for Oral History Research.

Interviewer Background and Preparation:

The interview was conducted by Jianye He, librarian for Chinese collections, C.V. Starr East Asian Library, University of California, Berkeley. He prepared for the interview by studying the interviewee’s CV, contextualizing historical background, and a selective representation of his publications, including Social Connections in China : Institutions, Culture and the Changing Nature of Guanxi (co-edited with Doug Guthrie, Cambridge University Press, 2002).

Processing of Interview:

The transcript is a verbatim transcription of the recording as transcribed by a machine transcribing program and audit-edited by the interviewer. The interviewee was given an opportunity to review the transcript and made a few corrections and additions.

Length:

4.75 hrs.

Language:

English

Copyright:

Interviewee Retained Copyright

Audio:

Series Statement:

The past sixty years have been an important period in the development of Chinese studies in the U.S and Canada. Those years have seen increased funding from Title VI and other sources, the evolution of new fields and areas of specialization, and the systematization and professionalization of scholarly training. They have also seen momentous changes in China’s status in the world and in the relationship between China and the U.S.—changes that, in turn, have had major consequences for the scope, status, and impact of the field of Chinese studies.Although these have been highly consequential years for Chinese studies, the details of these developments are often preserved only in the participants’ memories, and there has been no systematic effort to record those memories. The Chinese Studies Scholars Oral History Project is a collaboration among Chinese/East Asian studies librarians and scholars in the U.S. and Canada, the UCLA Richard C. Rudolph East Asian Library, and the UCLA Library Center for Oral History Research. Through in-depth, multi-session oral histories, it documents the development of the field of Chinese studies, the academic careers of its prominent practitioners, and the social, political, and economic context of which it was a part. Some interviews in the series are not available online at this time, among those the interviews with the following: Evelyn Rawski, Thomas Rawski.

Born in a Jewish family in Cincinnati, Ohio - Family’s immigration history - Brought up in reformed Judaism - The only Chinese girl classmate in high school, Ruihua Pan - Attended Walnut Hills High School - Enjoyed writing and performing in high school - World History was the only class that connected to China - The only Chinese restaurant called the Mandarin - Strong anti-communist education and environment - Chose Oberlin College - Took East Asian history class in freshman year - Learning Chinese language - First trip to Taiwan in 1969 - Got Chinese name from Yunmei Yin - Studied at Columbia University in 1968 - Applied to Harvard University’s graduate school - Met Ezra Vogel and changed major to sociology - Taiwan in “White Terror” - Selected to be the interpreter for the Chinese martial art delegation and other delegations - Studied at Fudan University in 1979 - Connections with the Oberlin Shanxi Memorial Association in Shanghai.

Returned to Harvard after 1974’s interpreting service - Taking area studies MA program at Harvard - Lucky to have Ezra Vogel as advisor- A seminar on Chinese communist society held in the spring of 1970 and the related publication - Participated in anti-Vietnam War movement - Focused dissertation topic on “dependent development in Taiwan” - Attended an Association for Asian Studies (AAS) panel on Taiwan - Dissertation committee members (Ezra Vogel, Orlando Patterson, Theda Skocpol) - Wrote dissertation in Toledo, Ohio - Samuel Valenzuela replaced Skocpol’s role in reviewing the dissertation - Ezra Vogel created the field of the sociological study of China - Interviewed many Taiwan celebrities - Joined University of California, Berkeley sociology department - Several known Berkeley China studies faculty members (Lowell Dittmer, Robert Scalapino, Jack Potter) - Became the acting chair of the Center for Chinese Studies - Received An Wang Fellowship in 1984-1985 - Fieldwork in Zouping County, Shandong Province - Invited to a conference in Manila on China.

China specialists at UC Berkeley - Campus response to Tian’anmen Incident - Participated in the demonstration activities in Hong Kong - Stayed in Beijing for two days (June 5-7, 1989) - On the front page of the San Francisco Examiner - Heard about “Jiu er gong shi” from Su Qi - Shanghai studies project at UC Berkeley - A successful seminar co-organized with Stevan Harrell - Organizational changes at the Center for Chinese Studies - Organized a successful conference on Chinese environmental issues in 2007- Failure of Berkeley China Initiative - East Bay College Fund and Chancellor Award for Public Service - The Stanford Center and leadership role as executive director - The Stanford Center was taken over by Stanford and moved to Qinghua University - Taiwan studies started to develop as a field in 1980s - Met Taiwan leaders (Li Denghui, Chen Shuibian, Ma Yingjiu, Cai Yingwen) - Lü Xiulian’s visit to Berkeley - Taiwan’s “Si da yuan lao”- Personal archives donated to the Hoover Institute.

Taught English at Tunghai University - Teaching fellow at Harvard - Taught introductory sociology with Ann Swidler at UC Berkeley - Taught Sociology 1 on Chinese society and development and graduate seminars on Taiwan and Hong Kong society - Received Distinguished Teaching Award - Published State and Society in the Taiwan Miracle - Organized a successful conference on guanxi in 1998 - Collaborated with Victoria Bennell and published the book New Entrepreneurs of Europe and Asia - Book on unemployed workers - Connections with Du Weiming and Paul Pickowicz - “Guerilla interviewing” and Perry Link and Richard Madsen - Talk at the Sixth World Forum on China Studies - Keynote address at the Communication University of China - Advised Ph.D. students - Served a three-year term for China and Inner Asian Council, AAS - On the board of the National Committee on US-China Relations for two terms - Service to the advisory board of the Asia Society of Northern California - Current challenges to Chinese studies - Going to Taiwan in June 2023 and the “Next Generation Taiwan Studies” program.