Meimei Wang

This book explores the long-term economic growth of three key regions: China, Central Eurasia, and Western Europe. It discusses why some areas experienced faster, and more sustained growth than others by focusing on how new ideas are created (innovation), how different countries use these ideas (adoption), and how these factors influence long-term economic differences and similarities (divergence/convergence). These key drivers are examined across time and throughout different regions, considering factors like state involvement, urbanization, the development of specific resources (e.g., fertile land), labor relations, and prices and wages. The book presents new research, connects chapters with recurring themes, and offers combined explanations. Without getting stuck in purely theoretical or historical discussions, it thus goes beyond the various theories to study how the nations caught up, fell behind, and forged ahead in GDP and immaterial well-being. Finally, the book highlights that, while there is value in understanding various existing theories, it is important to acknowledge the complexities in each region's specific historical and regional context.

This book offers a unique dataset of the 1947 household register of the Wudu County (Gansu Province) in China. It also includes preliminary analyses of occupation, education, marriage, and the distribution of wealth in the villages of Wudu. These analyses, based on the available population register data, are not only of importance as they have never been published before, but also because they reveal various socio-economic features of villagers’ lives on the individual level. They thus enable readers of this book to ask innovative questions and address them, contributing to the literature on the historical development of Chinese demography. This is Part 2 of a 3-volume set.

This book offers a unique set of 1947 household register data regarding Wudu county in China and preliminary analyses based on the data. These data warrant further investigation and are expected to contribute to the Chinese demographic history. This is Part 3 of a 3-volume set.

This book offers a unique dataset of the 1947 household register of the Wudu County (Gansu Province) in China. It also includes preliminary analyses of occupation, education, marriage, and the distribution of wealth in the villages of Wudu. These analyses, based on the available population register data, are not only of importance as they have never been published before, but also because they reveal various socio-economic features of villagers' lives on the individual level. They thus enable readers of this book to ask innovative questions and address them, contributing to the literature on the historical development of Chinese demography. This is Part 1 of a 3-volume set.

In Education in China, ca. 1840-present Meimei Wang, Bas van Leeuwen and Jieli Li offer a description of the transformation of the Chinese education system from the traditional Confucian teaching system to a modern mode. In doing so, they touch on various debates about education such as the speed of the educational modernization around 1900, the role of female education, and the economic efficiency of education. This description is combined with relevant data stretching from the second half of 19th century to present collected mainly from statistical archives and contemporary investigations.