The anthropology of power and Maoism

Andrew Kipnis

doi:10.1525/aa.2003.105.2.278

The anthropology of power and Maoism

Andrew Kipnis^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review

7 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The legacies of Maoist rule made reflecting on power almost unavoidable for U.S. anthropologists who conducted research in the People's Republic of China (PRC) just after Mao's death. In this article, I examine the theorization of power in the works of five such anthropologists. Although their approaches are diverse, they share an historical awareness of the unexpected dynamics and paradoxical outcomes of Mao's attempts to enact a revolutionary transformation of the social organization of power in the PRC. I conclude this article by enumerating lessons from these authors' analyses for the anthropological study of power in general.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	278-288
Number of pages	11
Journal	American Anthropologist
Volume	105
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1525/aa.2003.105.2.278
Publication status	Published - Jun 2003

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AB - The legacies of Maoist rule made reflecting on power almost unavoidable for U.S. anthropologists who conducted research in the People's Republic of China (PRC) just after Mao's death. In this article, I examine the theorization of power in the works of five such anthropologists. Although their approaches are diverse, they share an historical awareness of the unexpected dynamics and paradoxical outcomes of Mao's attempts to enact a revolutionary transformation of the social organization of power in the PRC. I conclude this article by enumerating lessons from these authors' analyses for the anthropological study of power in general.

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JO - American Anthropologist

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The anthropology of power and Maoism

Abstract

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