Franz Schurmann
Encyclopedia
Herbert Franz Schurmann (June 21, 1926 – August 20, 2010) was an American sociologist
and historian
who was best known for his research and writings about Communist China
during the Cold War
period. He taught at the University of California, Berkeley
in the Departments of Sociology and History for 38 years, and he also served a term as the head of the Center for Chinese Studies. He was an early opponent of the Vietnam war, and was the first American professor to visit Hanoi
during the bombing raids there. He co-founded the Pacific News Service
in 1970 together with author Orville Schell
, serving as editor and commentator, and wrote the weekly "Predictions" column.
and grew up in Bloomfield, Connecticut
. He developed fluency in as many as 12 languages, acquiring them from his Slovenia
n father who spoke five languages himself, his mother who was an immigrant from Germany
and from the dialects spoken in the melting pot community where he was raised. He briefly attended Trinity College in nearby Hartford, Connecticut
. He was drafted by the United States Army
during World War II
and was assigned to learn Japanese
, serving as a newspaper censor during the American Occupation of Japan. He befriended Stefan Brecht during his Army service and met Thomas Mann
and other German emigres at the California home of Stefan's father Bertolt Brecht
. After completing his military service he was awarded a Ph.D. in Asian studies
from Harvard University
, which he was able to attend using his G.I. Bill benefits as a veteran.
During the late 1950s, Schurmann spent two years exploring Afghanistan
on horseback, where he documented a blue-eyed, blond-haired tribe that descended from the invasions by Genghis Khan
, a history that he recounted in his 1962 book The Mongols of Afghanistan: An Ethnography of the Moghôls and Related Peoples of Afghanistan. He was an early opponent of the Vietnam War, founding the Berkeley Faculty Peace Committee in 1965 and visiting North Vietnam
with author and political activist Mary McCarthy
in 1968.
His major work Ideology and Organization in Communist China, was published in 1966, just as Mao's Cultural Revolution
was starting, and was revised and enlarged in 1968 and 1971. A widely influential analysis, the book applied the sociological insights of Max Weber
to interviews Schurmann conducted in Hong Kong
with refugees and wide reading in Chinese newspapers and documents. The book demonstrates how Mao Zedong
's ""dialectical conception of Chinese society" structured his organizational approach to the Chinese Communist Party and the government. The book argued that a "consistent yet changing ideology" created a web of organization which covered and penetrated all aspects of Chinese society, building from the 1930s. He edited the three-volume series The China Reader with Orville Schell
, a student of his who became an author and China expert in his own right. Together with Schell, he established the Pacific News Service in 1970, with the goal of providing Americans with more detailed coverage of news from Asia and Latin America. The service created New America Media
in 1996, a multimedia ethnic news agency and a coalition of ethnic media.
His 1974 work The Logic of World Power provided a summary of international relations following World War II. The Foreign Politics of Richard Nixon
, a book he wrote in the 1970s about the U.S. President's role in foreign affairs was not published until 1987.
As he developed his thinking about global power and economy, he expanded his skills to keep abreast of world developments. Already fluent in French, German, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, and other languages, he now in his sixties learnt enough written Arabic to be able to read the Koran and the Arab language press. This enabled him to write hundreds of columns for Pacific News, reporting on the development and goals of militant Islam.
He died at age 84 on August 20, 2010, at his home in San Francisco due to complications of Alzheimer's disease
and Parkinson's disease
. He is survived by his wife of 42 years, journalist Sandy Close
, as well as by two sons, Peter & Mark Schurmann, his daughter-in-law, Aruna Lee and his grandson Leon.
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
and historian
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
who was best known for his research and writings about Communist China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
during the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
period. He taught at the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
in the Departments of Sociology and History for 38 years, and he also served a term as the head of the Center for Chinese Studies. He was an early opponent of the Vietnam war, and was the first American professor to visit Hanoi
Hanoi
Hanoi , is the capital of Vietnam and the country's second largest city. Its population in 2009 was estimated at 2.6 million for urban districts, 6.5 million for the metropolitan jurisdiction. From 1010 until 1802, it was the most important political centre of Vietnam...
during the bombing raids there. He co-founded the Pacific News Service
Pacific News Service
Pacific News Service is a nonprofit media organization founded in 1969 by Franz Schurmann, the historian, and Orville Schell, a noted author, journalist and Dean of the Graduate School of Journalism at the University of California, Berkeley...
in 1970 together with author Orville Schell
Orville Schell
Orville Hickock Schell III is an activist and writer working on China, and is the Arthus Ross Director of the Center on U.S.-China Relations at the Asia Society in New York...
, serving as editor and commentator, and wrote the weekly "Predictions" column.
Life and scholarly career
Schurmann was born on June 21, 1926, in Astoria, QueensAstoria, Queens
Astoria is a neighborhood in the northwestern corner of the borough of Queens in New York City. Located in Community Board 1, Astoria is bounded by the East River and is adjacent to three other Queens neighborhoods: Long Island City, Sunnyside , and Woodside...
and grew up in Bloomfield, Connecticut
Bloomfield, Connecticut
Bloomfield is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 20,626 at the 2009 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which is land and 0.2 square miles is water.Bloomfield is bordered by Windsor to the...
. He developed fluency in as many as 12 languages, acquiring them from his Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
n father who spoke five languages himself, his mother who was an immigrant from Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and from the dialects spoken in the melting pot community where he was raised. He briefly attended Trinity College in nearby Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
. He was drafted by the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and was assigned to learn Japanese
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
, serving as a newspaper censor during the American Occupation of Japan. He befriended Stefan Brecht during his Army service and met Thomas Mann
Thomas Mann
Thomas Mann was a German novelist, short story writer, social critic, philanthropist, essayist, and 1929 Nobel Prize laureate, known for his series of highly symbolic and ironic epic novels and novellas, noted for their insight into the psychology of the artist and the intellectual...
and other German emigres at the California home of Stefan's father Bertolt Brecht
Bertolt Brecht
Bertolt Brecht was a German poet, playwright, and theatre director.An influential theatre practitioner of the 20th century, Brecht made equally significant contributions to dramaturgy and theatrical production, the latter particularly through the seismic impact of the tours undertaken by the...
. After completing his military service he was awarded a Ph.D. in Asian studies
Asian studies
Asian studies, a term used usually in the United States for Oriental studies and is concerned with the Asian peoples, their cultures, languages, history and politics...
from Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, which he was able to attend using his G.I. Bill benefits as a veteran.
During the late 1950s, Schurmann spent two years exploring Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
on horseback, where he documented a blue-eyed, blond-haired tribe that descended from the invasions by Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan , born Temujin and occasionally known by his temple name Taizu , was the founder and Great Khan of the Mongol Empire, which became the largest contiguous empire in history after his death....
, a history that he recounted in his 1962 book The Mongols of Afghanistan: An Ethnography of the Moghôls and Related Peoples of Afghanistan. He was an early opponent of the Vietnam War, founding the Berkeley Faculty Peace Committee in 1965 and visiting North Vietnam
North Vietnam
The Democratic Republic of Vietnam , was a communist state that ruled the northern half of Vietnam from 1954 until 1976 following the Geneva Conference and laid claim to all of Vietnam from 1945 to 1954 during the First Indochina War, during which they controlled pockets of territory throughout...
with author and political activist Mary McCarthy
Mary McCarthy (author)
Mary Therese McCarthy was an American author, critic and political activist.- Early life :Born in Seattle, Washington, to Roy Winfield McCarthy and his wife, the former Therese Preston, McCarthy was orphaned at the age of six when both her parents died in the great flu epidemic of 1918...
in 1968.
His major work Ideology and Organization in Communist China, was published in 1966, just as Mao's Cultural Revolution
Cultural Revolution
The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, commonly known as the Cultural Revolution , was a socio-political movement that took place in the People's Republic of China from 1966 through 1976...
was starting, and was revised and enlarged in 1968 and 1971. A widely influential analysis, the book applied the sociological insights of Max Weber
Max Weber
Karl Emil Maximilian "Max" Weber was a German sociologist and political economist who profoundly influenced social theory, social research, and the discipline of sociology itself...
to interviews Schurmann conducted in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
with refugees and wide reading in Chinese newspapers and documents. The book demonstrates how Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong, also transliterated as Mao Tse-tung , and commonly referred to as Chairman Mao , was a Chinese Communist revolutionary, guerrilla warfare strategist, Marxist political philosopher, and leader of the Chinese Revolution...
's ""dialectical conception of Chinese society" structured his organizational approach to the Chinese Communist Party and the government. The book argued that a "consistent yet changing ideology" created a web of organization which covered and penetrated all aspects of Chinese society, building from the 1930s. He edited the three-volume series The China Reader with Orville Schell
Orville Schell
Orville Hickock Schell III is an activist and writer working on China, and is the Arthus Ross Director of the Center on U.S.-China Relations at the Asia Society in New York...
, a student of his who became an author and China expert in his own right. Together with Schell, he established the Pacific News Service in 1970, with the goal of providing Americans with more detailed coverage of news from Asia and Latin America. The service created New America Media
New America Media
New America Media is a multimedia ethnic news agency and a coalition of ethnic media. Founded in 1996 by the nonprofit Pacific News Service, NAM is headquartered in San Francisco with offices in Los Angeles, New York and Washington, DC...
in 1996, a multimedia ethnic news agency and a coalition of ethnic media.
His 1974 work The Logic of World Power provided a summary of international relations following World War II. The Foreign Politics of Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
, a book he wrote in the 1970s about the U.S. President's role in foreign affairs was not published until 1987.
As he developed his thinking about global power and economy, he expanded his skills to keep abreast of world developments. Already fluent in French, German, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, and other languages, he now in his sixties learnt enough written Arabic to be able to read the Koran and the Arab language press. This enabled him to write hundreds of columns for Pacific News, reporting on the development and goals of militant Islam.
He died at age 84 on August 20, 2010, at his home in San Francisco due to complications of Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease also known in medical literature as Alzheimer disease is the most common form of dementia. There is no cure for the disease, which worsens as it progresses, and eventually leads to death...
and Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system...
. He is survived by his wife of 42 years, journalist Sandy Close
Sandy Close
Sandy Close is an American journalist and the Executive Director of the Bay Area Institute / Pacific News Service, and New America Media.Close graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with BA in 1964....
, as well as by two sons, Peter & Mark Schurmann, his daughter-in-law, Aruna Lee and his grandson Leon.
Publications
- The Politics of Escalation in Vietnam, with Peter Dale Scott and Reginald Zelnik. Fawcett, 1966.
- Ideology and Organization in Communist China
- The Logic of World Power: An Inquiry into the Origins, Currents, and Contradictions of World Politics. Pantheon, 1974.
- Imperial China: The Decline of the Last Dynasty and the Origins of Modern China, the 18th and 19th Centuries. 1967. (with Orville SchellOrville SchellOrville Hickock Schell III is an activist and writer working on China, and is the Arthus Ross Director of the Center on U.S.-China Relations at the Asia Society in New York...
). First in The China Reader series. - Republican China: Nationalism, War, and the Rise of Communism, 1911-1949 (with Orville SchellOrville SchellOrville Hickock Schell III is an activist and writer working on China, and is the Arthus Ross Director of the Center on U.S.-China Relations at the Asia Society in New York...
). Second in The China Reader series. - Communist China: Revolutionary Reconstruction and International Confrontation, 1949 to the Present (with Orville Schell) (1968). Third in The China Reader series.
- The Foreign Politics of Richard Nixon: The Grand Design, Institute of International Studies, University of California, Berkeley, 1987.
- American Soul (a personal narrative). 2001.