A fairly large part of private entrepreneurs were former farmers or labourers. Many of them made their fortune by grasping opportunities generated by China's transition from the old economic system to a market economy, while the market mechanisms had not yet grown mature enough to replace the old administrative rules to ensure a fair, reasonable distribution of resources and social wealth.
Memories of past suffering plus the experience of making quick profits through speculative moves have led these under-educated private businesspeople to develop an unhealthy attitude towards wealth. They have more interest in enjoying a luxurious life than honouring their responsibility to society; they may even have no concept about this responsibility at all.Posted by Alan Hogue at December 22, 2005 04:19 PM
Do you know anything about philanthropy in China? I occasionally hear that the US has a stronger culture of private philanthropy than the rest of the world, but rarely see this substantiated. That said, it wouldn't surprise me at all if a country like China didn't have the same expectation that the wealthy become donors.
Posted by: Ben Brumfield at December 22, 2005 07:20 PMI don't know much about it, but I agree with the author in a general sense that these things are class related. I don't think that has so much to do with a particular culture.
On the other hand, there's the emphasis on education. Later in this OpEd something else struck me as interesting:
Fortunately, some of them have realized such a need. China Daily reported yesterday that 40 businesspersons from across the country are studying traditional Chinese culture at Peking University.
"As my career developed, I felt I needed strategic thinking," a computer company boss said when explaining why she had spent 24,000 yuan (US$3,000) on the course.
Does anyone get an English degree to acquire "strategic thinking"?
Posted by: Alan Hogue at December 23, 2005 10:35 AMDoes anyone get an English degree to acquire "strategic thinking"?
Can't see why not. Literature is all about capturing and conveying knowledge of human conduct. You gonna tell me a book like Lord Jim can't be useful to a business manager? And isn't "strategic thinking" why the Greek and Roman classics were fed to the future management class of the British Empire?
Posted by: Martha Bridegam at December 23, 2005 11:22 AMYou can argue about whether it makes sense all you want, but as a former English major I can tell you I didn't meet a lot of people who really thought they would get richer if they gained some familiarity with Beowulf and Shakespeare.
Actually, none.
And the idea that successful, uneducated businesspeople would get an English degree for this purpose strikes me as particularly unlikely.
Posted by: Alan Hogue at December 23, 2005 12:27 PM