
Rural China on the Eve of Revolution
Sichuan Fieldnotes, 1949-1950
- 280 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
Rural China on the Eve of Revolution
Sichuan Fieldnotes, 1949-1950
About this book
In 1949, G. William Skinner, a Cornell University graduate student, set off for southwest China to conduct field research on rural social structure. He settled near the market town of Gaodianzi, Sichuan, and lived there for two and a half months, until the newly arrived Communists asked him to leave. During his time in Sichuan, Skinner kept detailed field notes and took scores of photos of rural life and unfolding events. Skinner went on to become a giant in his fieldâhis obituary in American Anthropologist called him "the world's most influential anthropologist of China." A key portion of his legacy arose from his Sichuan fieldwork, contained in his classic monograph Marketing and Social Structure in Rural China. Although the People's Liberation Army confiscated Skinner's research materials, some had been sent out in advance and were discovered among the files donated to the University of Washington Libraries after his death. Skinner's notes and photos bring to life this rare glimpse of rural China on the brink of momentous change.
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Table of contents
- Cover
- Half title
- Title
- Copyright
- Contents
- Preface
- Acknowledgments
- Maps
- One The Road to Gaodianzi: JuneâNovember 1949
- Two Settling In: November 12â26
- Three A Household Survey and Rumors of the Communists: November 28âDecember 16
- Four Working Out the Market Network as the PLA Approaches: December 13â24
- Five Liberation! December 27âJanuary 3
- Six The Communists and the Temples: January 5â13
- Seven The Last Dongyue Temple Festival: January 15â17
- Eight The Premature End of Fieldwork: January 18â25
- Epilogue: JanuaryâMay 1950
- Afterword
- Glossary
- Index