Analysies of Social Services of the Tianjin YMCA: A Case Study of “Mass Wedding”
Author: ZHAO Tianlu, Postdoctoral Fellow, Assistant Researcher, School of Marxism, Tsinghua University
Abstract:
Mass Weddings (Collective Weddings) originated in Italy, and gradually became popular in China following an initiative from the Shanghai Social Bureau in 1935. The Mass Wedding was a new phenomenon in the marriage custom reforms of the Republic of China, with a strong institutional flavor. One of the main practical activities in the national New Life Movement, the weddings met the needs of a segment of the population. Unlike the “official” version in Shanghai and elsewhere, Mass Weddings in Tianjin were initiated by the YMCA, a Christian youth social service group. In organizing wedding ceremonies, the Tianjin YMCA. accumulated experience and reputation, constantly adjusting its relationship with local authorities according to its own needs, and contributing to the best of its ability to the improvement of the daily life of urban youth and to innovation in local social customs.
Keywords:
Tianjin YMCA; Mass Wedding; New Life Movement; Marriage Custom Improvement
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