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The Flow of Gifts: Reciprocity and Social Networks in a Chinese Village.
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1998
Year
East Asian StudiesEducationSocial InfluenceCultural StudiesSocial SciencesCultural AnalysisCultural HistoryChinese PoliticsSocial NetworksCultural TransmissionAltruismChinese Society 2Gift EconomyCultureChinese CultureProsocial BehaviorSocial BehaviorChinese VillageEthnographyAnthropologySocial AnthropologyCultural AnthropologyXiajia VillageSocial Exchange Theory
The study situates gift exchange within anthropological theory and Chinese society, focusing on the field site of Xiajia village. The authors develop a preliminary classification of gifts and analyze how the gift economy operates through Guanxi networks, reciprocity, Renqing ethics, power dynamics, and marriage transactions in village society. The study concludes that socialism, Guanxi, and Renqing shape gift practices, influencing social structure and relationships in the village. The article is listed as entry 1.
1. Introduction: the gift in anthropology and Chinese society 2. Xiajia village: a sketch of the field site 3. The world of gifts: a preliminary classification 4. The gift economy and Guanxi networks 5. The structure of Guanxi in village society 6. The principle of reciprocity and Renaqing ethics 7. Power and prestige in gift-exchange relations 8. Marriage transactions and social reformations 9. Conclusions: socialism, Guanxi, Renqing and the gift Notes Bibliography Character list Index.