Competition and Compassion in Chinese Secondary Education examines the nature of academic competition in Chinese schools and documents its debilitating effects on Chinese adolescents' social, moral, and civic development.

PART I 1. Promoting Competition: A Dramatic Shift of Discourse 2. Reducing Competition: The Cat and Mouse Game 3. The Friendship Dilemma: Competition and Emotional Isolation 4. "What's Your Friend's Ranking Position?" Parental Peer-Related Beliefs and Practices PART II 5. The Ratty Shoe Case: Friendship and Compassion 6. The Social Problems Facing China: Adolescents' Civic Perspectives 7. Can Education be Both Competitive and Compassionate?