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“This is a solid investigative study of why cities grow and decline. Unlike existing research on urbanization in China, Andrew B. Kipnis’s book explores urban life among China's smaller, more marginal cities and brings order and relevance to a complex topic.”—William R. Jankowiak, Barrick Distinguished Professor of Anthropology, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
“This book stands out as one of the first anthropological works focused on the urbanization of a nonmetropolitan Chinese city. This study is both timely and important.”—Yunxiang Yan, Professor of Anthropology, University of California, Los Angeles
“Kipnis's unique approach to studying urbanization in China will be important reading not just for China experts, but more broadly for urban theorists, geographers, and social scientists.”—Stephan Feuchtwang, Professor of Anthropology, London School of Economics
About the author
Andrew B. Kipnis is Professor of Anthropology in the School of Culture, History and Language of the College of Asia and the Pacific at The Australian National University.
Summary
Between 1988 and 2013, the Chinese city of Zouping transformed from an impoverished town to a bustling city of over 300,000, complete with factories, high rises, and all the infrastructure of a wealthy East Asian city. This book focuses on the rapid changes in Zouping, its environs and in the lives of the once-rural people who live there.
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"Stands out as a must-read text in the anthropology of China and urban studies. . . . Ideal for use in undergraduate classes in anthropology, East Asian studies, and urban studies."
