ABSTRACT The words empire, civilization, anthropology and China are rarely seen together. In addi... more ABSTRACT The words empire, civilization, anthropology and China are rarely seen together. In addition, all four words are actually foreign to the Chinese language. However, when they are juxtaposed, they point to exceptional Chinese experiences with the research field and suggest that these can lead to a new understanding of what anthropology can do to illuminate ancient and modern relationships. In particular, areas between the emperor-state that shaped a civilization and the multifarious lives of communities scattered within and on the outskirts of China challenge Chinese scholars to re-examine the reach of a discipline that has long been suspect in the eyes of the authorities
In recent years, I have been impressed by the fresh efforts of Chinese people everywhere to try t... more In recent years, I have been impressed by the fresh efforts of Chinese people everywhere to try to be as modern as possible. At the same time, I am struck by the way the criteria of what is modern has been changing during the past century. The standards of modernity, often ...
ABSTRACT The words empire, civilization, anthropology and China are rarely seen together. In addi... more ABSTRACT The words empire, civilization, anthropology and China are rarely seen together. In addition, all four words are actually foreign to the Chinese language. However, when they are juxtaposed, they point to exceptional Chinese experiences with the research field and suggest that these can lead to a new understanding of what anthropology can do to illuminate ancient and modern relationships. In particular, areas between the emperor-state that shaped a civilization and the multifarious lives of communities scattered within and on the outskirts of China challenge Chinese scholars to re-examine the reach of a discipline that has long been suspect in the eyes of the authorities
In recent years, I have been impressed by the fresh efforts of Chinese people everywhere to try t... more In recent years, I have been impressed by the fresh efforts of Chinese people everywhere to try to be as modern as possible. At the same time, I am struck by the way the criteria of what is modern has been changing during the past century. The standards of modernity, often ...
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