An insightful socio-cultural analysis of the differences in Chinese and Western relationships to the public and the private spheres.
In China: Promise or Threat? Helle compares the cultures of China and the West through both private and public spheres. He argues that, for China, the private sphere of family life is well-defined and regulated, where as behavior in public relating to matters of government and law is less so. In contrast, in his view, the West inverts this arrangement.