Contemporary Huanan's Clan and Society

Author: Zhou Dameng
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-07-01
Features: Based on anthropological fieldwork reports, this book focuses on Guangdong and South China, examining issues such as clan structure and rural politics, the relationship between clans and rural economy, clans and village culture, clans and folk beliefs, clans and ethnic relations, and clans and social change. It further provides a profound reflection and serious examination of the social status of contemporary South Chinese clans and their impact on social development. The book consists of fourteen chapters, including: the revival of clans and the reconstruction of rural governance; clan structure and village politics; the transformation and adaptation of clan systems; clan history and ethnic interactions; the evolution of clan organizations and power structures; clan conflicts and ethnic consciousness; clan development and ethnic cultural integration; clan culture and ethnic identity; Hakka architecture and clan culture; the imperial examination system and clan development; folk beliefs and ethnic boundaries; the "Cige" custom and the adaptability of clan principles; economic development and clan revival; natural environment and ethnic change, etc. Upon reading, the book exhibits the following characteristics. First, it is rich in content and well-supported by evidence. The main body of the book is an anthropological fieldwork report, authored by scholars with extensive fieldwork experience. Through long-term intensive field observations, they have gained a deep understanding of the history, culture, and clan societies of the communities they studied. They have collected and mastered a large number of documentary and interview materials, ensuring their arguments are well-founded. Second, it combines macro and micro perspectives. Although the book is titled "Clans in South China," it does not merely focus on South China. Neither the preface nor the chapters view South China in isolation but broaden the scope to the entire region, also involving major Hakka settlements in Fujian and Jiangxi, as well as Qinghai, to facilitate comparative research. Third, it integrates history and reality. This is primarily reflected in two aspects. First, the book includes several revisit-based tracking studies, such as Zhou Dameng's revisit to the Chaozhou Fenghuang Village studied by Ge Xuepu, and Gao Chong's revisit to the Guangzhou Nanjing Village studied by Yang Qingkun. These attempts to understand the development and evolution of clans as a significant social organization from the perspective of sociocultural change. Second, it focuses on both the history of clan society and the contemporary revival and reconstruction of clans, deeply exploring important real-world issues in contemporary China against the backdrop of clan organizations and the Hakka ethnic group. The value and significance of the book lie in understanding South Chinese clans, especially in Hakka regions, and their relationship with society from multiple angles, levels, and regions, as well as the transformation and development of clan societies in the context of modernization. Beyond focusing on clans as bloodline and cultural communities, the book also closely observes clans as political communities. It makes significant academic contributions while also offering practical guidance.