Despite the ongoing unrest and protests in Hong Kong, on December 16-17, 2019, the U.S.-China Research Group on Culture and Society convened their second meeting on the island to share their findings on common challenges that people in the United States and China face as they deal with moral dilemmas, try to lead fulfilling lives, and create good societies. Convened by Becky Hsu of Georgetown’s Department of Sociology and Teresa Kuan from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the group of scholars spent two days sharing the progress of their research and planning the next steps for the dialogue.
Comprehensive Research and Dialogue
What are some common problems people are experiencing in China and the United States? In what way is the problem shared around the world? What are the broader implications for understanding human flourishing and the “common good” in Catholic social thought? The research group scholars considered these questions while updating each other on their work and discussing further ways to expand and improve the research. Their research covers a range of topics including the rise of social activism by Rainbow Parents and the growing popularity of psychotherapy in China, the concept of the multi-generational family as a common good, and the effects of inequality on different aspects of life in the United States and China. The group also explored broader implications of these issues in U.S.-China dialogue.
Future Goals
The group is optimistic about the potential positive impacts of their research and will continue working towards a goal of an edited volume. They plan to hold their final meeting in May 2020 at Georgetown University, where a public dialogue will be held to share their research with the Georgetown and broader DC community.
