ABSTRACT

This chapter discusses how Chinese sociologists have drawn upon the ideas of the Chicago School for the creation and evolution of sociology – urban sociology and social psychology in particular – in China. Although the Chicago School later disintegrated due to both academic insularity and failure in disciplinisation at, specially, its infant stage of development, its initial success and eventual decline possess significant reference to the continued progress of nascent Chinese sociology. As the world's first department of sociology, Chicago sociology's contribution to the development of this academic field was self-evident. The limitation of the Chicago School was just as evident as its contribution. The first limitation was inherent to first-generation American sociologists. The last limitation could probably be attributed to the academic insularity of the Chicago School. Both the influence of Chicago sociology and the endeavours of Wu Jingchao contributed to the initial development of urban sociology in China.