China as context
Anthropology, post-globalisation and the neglect of China
Decades-old calls to recognise China’s significance for anthropological theory and the social sciences are more urgent than ever. Yet, Chinese-grounded ideas remain marginal, with China often seen as an ‘Other’ rather than a source of widely applicable theory. Drawing on East Asian postcolonial scholarship, this volume argues that without taking China seriously as a knowledge producer and a key agent in a post-global world, social scientists risk misinterpreting the global present. As Western globalisation wanes and anthropology reassesses the relationship between ethnography and theory, we show how ‘China’ must be understood as an ordinary, integral context for research worldwide.
Di Wu is a 'ZJU 100 Young Professor' Associate Professorial Fellow at the Institute of Anthropology, Zhejiang University.
Andrea E. Pia is Associate Professor in Anthropology at the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Ed Pulford is an Anthropologist and Senior Lecturer in Chinese Studies at the University of Manchester.
