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| In Pursuit of Happiness： The Individual Purpose of Family Revolution around the May Fourth Movement |
| Zhao Yanjie |
| Institute of Modern History， Chinese Academy of Social Sciences， Beijing 100006 |
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Abstract In the context of discrepancy between Chinese and Western notions of civilized vs barbarian，intellectuals around the end of the Qing Dynasty may have unintentionally conceived a positive image of Western monogamous nuclear family. When it came to the May Fourth Movement， the ideal family model for the new youth evolved from the traditional extended family with shared property and abode to nuclear family with only spouses and underage offspring. While the former stands a symbol of tutelage， oppression and dependency， the latter represents freedom， equality and independence. For the new youth， small family is the fountain of happiness， as well as the premise and foundation for social progress and nation building. As a sentiment， happiness， in contrast to reason， possesses a magic power that prompts the new youth to advocate family revolution plans that include free love， free marriage， and dissolution of patrimony. The discourse of family revolution foretold，when political revolution failed to deliver a satisfactory social order， young people turned to family revolution in order to achieve a good society.
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Received: 21 January 2019
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2019, Vol. 58 
