On March 15, an academic seminar in commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the reconstruction of Chinese sociology jointly hosted by Guizhou Minzu University, Cultural Communication Center of Guiyang Confucius Academy and Chinese Association of Social Psychology was held in Guiyang Confucius Academy. Ten Changjiang (Yangtze River) Scholars from the Chinese sociology circle gathered at the seminar to have a discussion on “beyond indigenization attempt to subjectivity construction for Chinese sociology”. Meanwhile, the “Chinese Sociology Changjiang Scholars Workshop” and “Institute of Contemporary Social Mentality” of Guizhou Minzu University and Guiyang Confucius Academy were unveiled and established at the seminar, boosting the development of social studies in Guizhou.

On March 15, 1979, the sociology symposium held in Beijing decided to set up Chinese Sociological Association, marking the beginning of the restoration and reconstruction of Chinese sociology. Currently, 40 years later, ten Changjiang Scholars, including Zhou Xiaohong, member of the Discipline Evaluation Group of the State Council and Professor of Department of Sociology, Nanjing University, Xie Lizhong, Vice-chairman of Chinese Sociological Association and Professor of Department of Sociology, Peking University, and Qiu Zeqi, Director of the Center for Sociological Research and Development Studies of China, Peking University, shared their academic achievements with sociology teachers, students and the general public in Guiyang, so as to review and look forward to four decades’ development of Chinese sociology.

At the seminar, scholars discussed topics such as changes in China’s social structure, indigenization of Chinese sociology, technicalization of Chinese society, social network in China and social capital. Wen Jun, Dean of the School of Social Development, East China Normal University, said the current Chinese society is characterized by accelerated social mobility, intensified social differentiation, increased social conflicts, declining social integration and declining social identity. Confronted with the new situation and changes, Chinese sociology needs to make more new explorations and breakthroughs. He Xuefeng, Dean of the Sociology Department of Wuhan University, pointed out on the development trend of Chinese sociology that Chinese sociological research shall be based on Chinese practice to establish a Chinese social science with Chinese subjectivity that can illustrate Chinese practice.

Zhou Xiaohong said that the gathering of ten Changjiang Scholars today is of great significance for the development of sociology. Guizhou is a multi-ethnic region, of which the sociological research bears its own characteristics. In recent years, it has also attracted scholars nationwide to Guizhou. In particular, the establishment of the “Sociology Changjiang Scholars Workshop” and the “Institute of Contemporary Social Mentality” will make China’s cutting-edge sociology seminars more routine, provide sociologists with opportunities to understand Guizhou society, and better serve Guizhou’s social and cultural construction.

On that day, Li Jianjun, Secretary of the Party Committee of Guizhou University, Zhang Xueli, Secretary of the Party Committee of Guizhou Minzu University, Suo Xiaoxia, Director of Cultural Communication Center of Guiyang Confucius Academy, Tian Yipeng, Changjiang Scholar Chair Professor and Dean of the School of Philosophy and Society of Jilin University, and Wen Jun, Changjiang Scholar Chair Professor and Dean of the School of Social Development of East China Normal University unveiled the “Chinese Sociology Changjiang Scholars Workshop” and “Institute of Contemporary Social Mentality” of Guizhou Minzu University and Guiyang Confucius Academy respectively.