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MORALITY AND SOCIETY
IN RURAL CHINA
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES
NOVEMBER 1-2, 2002
CONFERENCE ANNOUNCEMENT AND CALL FOR PAPERS
This conference will examine the moral structure of rural China as revealed in discourse and practice, with an additional emphasis on the role of political developments since 1949. The central theme is the relation between morality and power, revisiting recent anthropological and sociological work in China, and historical discussions of peasant societies elsewhere in the world. Paper proposals should address this topic broadly, and one of the following in detail:
- Where are the boundaries between morality and domination? How have terminological markers such as "face," "conscience" or "filiality" been defined as respectable values, and was their interpretation a potential source of conflict?
- Can customary practice be understood as an unwritten moral discourse? What is the relationship between the morality of the spoken word and that revealed in practice? How did cultural and administrative institutions within or outside aof village society shape village practice?
- Does a particular moral discourse "naturally" characterize peasant society, and if so, how was this affected by the ideologies and social movements before and after 1949? How has this discourse carried village society through movements such as Land Reform, and how is it currently seen in new political and economic realities?
- How did individuals or groups within the village shape, manipulate or counter the moral discourse of the community? Did the village moral discourse help to reveal or obscure natural fault lines within the community, such as gender, class, or lineage?
Paper proposals will be accepted until March 1, 2002, and should consist of the paper title, 250 word abstract, and short curriculum vitae. Electronic submission of proposals in any Word format is preferred. Please forward materials and inquiries to tddubois@artsci.wustl.edu.
