Hackenbracht, Julie Elizabeth2010-04-142010-04-142009-06https://hdl.handle.net/1794/10307viii, 116 p. A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number.As Mainland China transitions from a planned socialist economy to one more market-focused, its economic successes have garnered attention worldwide. However, this astounding economic growth brought with it a number of negative side effects, including corruption and a resurgence ofprostitution. Gender relations have also undergone major shifts from state mandated gender equality in the Mao era to a call for the refeminization ofwomen in the Reform era. How is the Chinese population navigating this transition? In this thesis, I utilize existing melodrama theory and relevant sociological studies to explore how three Chinese TV dramas-I'm Not a Hero (2004), Close to You, Make Me Warm (2006), and Give Me a Cigarette (2006), later renamed Evening Rain--expose and explore some of these existing social problems, providing a platform for their viewers to reflect on and explore these issues on their own.en-USTelevision -- China -- History -- 21st centuryTelevision melodramas -- China -- History -- 21st centuryChina -- Social life and customs -- 2002-Thesis