Governance of Life in Chinese Moral Experience

Everett Zhang, Arthur Kleinman, Weiming Tu

"What appeals to me most in this volume is the way in which the chapters together, but from very different perspectives, manage to highlight fundamental human issues regarding the governing of life and death in China, and Chinese people's search (and sometimes demand) for adequate lives. The chapters provide valuable insights into how governmental practices interchange with cultural norms; what people in China have come to regard as crucial for living adequate lives; and what they therefore expect from their government and from themselves as subjects. The book is easily accessible, with chapters that often include good definitions of key concepts and overviews of topics concerning governmentality in China. It should therefore make a welcome contribution not just to specialists but also to students at earlier stages of their studies." - Mette Halskov Hansen, University of Oslo, Norway; Asian Anthropology, Vol. 10 (2011)'This is a complex book with complex papers, looking at many interesting domains of life and power in modern China. All the authors analyze political and ethical aspects of social phenomena in modern China in terms of the “Chinese moral experience”.' - Lili Lai, Peking University; The China Journal (July 2013).

• Introduction China: Incomplete Governmentality Part I Min yi shi wei tian (People Regard Food as Top Priority)1 Feeding the Revolution 2 The Language of Food 3 The Truth about the Death Toll of the Great Leap Famine in Sichuan Part II The Politics and Morality of Death 4 The Death of a Detainee 5 The Life of Sino Sacer 6 Political Ambition, Life and Personal Success Part III Governing Life 7 The Memory of Barefoot Doctor System 8 Turning Points in China’s AIDS Response 9 Governing Chinese Life Part IV From Living Being to Wellbeing 10 Citizen Satisfaction with Government Performance 11 Debating Women’s Rights and Indigenous Rights in Hong Kong 12 Biological Citizenship and its Form Afterword