The Anthropology of China

China as Ethnographic and Theoretical Critique

Putting China into the context of general anthropology offers novel insights into its history, culture and society. Studies in the anthropology of China need to look outwards, to other anthropological areas, while at the same time, anthropologists specialised elsewhere cannot afford to ignore contributions from China. This book introduces a number of key themes and in each case describes how the anthropology and ethnography of China relates to the surrounding theories and issues. The themes chosen include the anthropology of intimacy, of morality, of food and of feasting, as well as the anthropology of civilisation, modernity and the state.

The Anthropology of China covers both long historical perspectives and ethnographies of the twenty-first century. For the first time, ethnographic perspectives on China are contextualised in comparison with general anthropological debates. Readers are invited to engage in and rethink China's place within the wider world, making it perfect for professional researchers and teachers of anthropology and Chinese history and society, and for advanced undergraduate and graduate study.

Contents:

• Introduction
• Anthropology of China: History, Regionalism, and Comparison
• Kinship as Ideology and as Corporation
• Relatedness and Gender
• Love, Emotion and Sentiment
• The Exchange of Money, Gifts and Favors
• The Localization and Globalization of Food
• Nature, Environment, and Activism
• Ritual and Belief
• Hospitality
• The Stranger-King and the Outside of an Imperial Civilization
• The Anthropology of the Modern State in China
• Conclusion

Readership: Professional researchers and teachers of anthropology and Chinese history and society, and for advanced undergraduate and graduate study.