Performing Grief

This is the first in-depth study of Chinese bridal laments, a ritual and performative art practiced by Chinese women in premodern times that gave them a rare opportunity to voice their grievances publicly. Drawing on methodologies from numerous disciplines, including performance arts and folk litera...

תיאור מלא

שמור ב:
מידע ביבליוגרפי
מחבר ראשי: McLaren, Anne E.
פורמט: Online
שפה:אנגלית
יצא לאור: University of Hawai'i Press 2021
נושאים:
גישה מקוונת:OCN: 1229504612
תגים: הוספת תג
אין תגיות, היה/י הראשונ/ה לתייג את הרשומה!
_version_ 1869529478078660608
author McLaren, Anne E.
author_browse McLaren, Anne E.
author_facet McLaren, Anne E.
author_sort McLaren, Anne E.
collection Directory of Open Access Books
description This is the first in-depth study of Chinese bridal laments, a ritual and performative art practiced by Chinese women in premodern times that gave them a rare opportunity to voice their grievances publicly. Drawing on methodologies from numerous disciplines, including performance arts and folk literatures, the author suggests that the ability to move an audience through her lament was one of the most important symbolic and ritual skills a Chinese woman could possess before the modern era. Performing Grief provides a detailed case study of the Nanhui region in the lower Yangzi delta. Bridal laments, the author argues, offer insights into how illiterate Chinese women understood the kinship and social hierarchies of their region, the marriage market that determined their destinies, and the value of their labor in the commodified economy of the delta region. The book not only assesses and draws upon a large body of sources, both Chinese and Western, but is grounded in actual field work, offering both historical and ethnographic context in a unique and sophisticated approach. Unlike previous studies, the author covers both Han and non-Han groups and thus contributes to studies of ethnicity and cultural accommodation in China. She presents an original view about the ritual implications of bridal laments and their role in popular notions of "wedding pollution." The volume includes an annotated translation from a lament cycle. This important work on the place of laments in Chinese culture enriches our understanding of the social and performative roles of Chinese women, the gendered nature of China’s ritual culture, and the continuous transmission of women’s grievance genres into the revolutionary period. As a pioneering study of the ritual and performance arts of Chinese women, it will be of interest to scholars and students in the fields of anthropology, social history, gender studies, oral literature, comparative folk religion, and performance arts.
format Online
id doab-20.500.12854ir-28977
institution Directory of Open Access Books
language eng
publishDate 2021
publishDateRange 2021
publishDateSort 2021
publisher University of Hawai'i Press
publisherStr University of Hawai'i Press
record_format ojs
spelling doab-20.500.12854ir-289772025-07-30T13:20:06Z Performing Grief McLaren, Anne E. Social Science Anthropology Cultural & Social thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JH Sociology and anthropology::JHM Anthropology::JHMC Social and cultural anthropology This is the first in-depth study of Chinese bridal laments, a ritual and performative art practiced by Chinese women in premodern times that gave them a rare opportunity to voice their grievances publicly. Drawing on methodologies from numerous disciplines, including performance arts and folk literatures, the author suggests that the ability to move an audience through her lament was one of the most important symbolic and ritual skills a Chinese woman could possess before the modern era. Performing Grief provides a detailed case study of the Nanhui region in the lower Yangzi delta. Bridal laments, the author argues, offer insights into how illiterate Chinese women understood the kinship and social hierarchies of their region, the marriage market that determined their destinies, and the value of their labor in the commodified economy of the delta region. The book not only assesses and draws upon a large body of sources, both Chinese and Western, but is grounded in actual field work, offering both historical and ethnographic context in a unique and sophisticated approach. Unlike previous studies, the author covers both Han and non-Han groups and thus contributes to studies of ethnicity and cultural accommodation in China. She presents an original view about the ritual implications of bridal laments and their role in popular notions of "wedding pollution." The volume includes an annotated translation from a lament cycle. This important work on the place of laments in Chinese culture enriches our understanding of the social and performative roles of Chinese women, the gendered nature of China’s ritual culture, and the continuous transmission of women’s grievance genres into the revolutionary period. As a pioneering study of the ritual and performance arts of Chinese women, it will be of interest to scholars and students in the fields of anthropology, social history, gender studies, oral literature, comparative folk religion, and performance arts. 2021-02-10T13:28:42Z 2021-02-10T13:28:42Z 2020-12-15T14:09:15Z 2020 book OCN: 1229504612 https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/43921 9780824887667 https://directory.doabooks.org/handle/20.500.12854/28977 eng open access image/jpeg image/jpeg image/jpeg image/jpeg n/a n/a n/a n/a https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/20.500.12657/43921/1/external_content.pdf https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/20.500.12657/43921/1/external_content.pdf https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/20.500.12657/43921/1/external_content.pdf https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/20.500.12657/43921/1/external_content.pdf University of Hawai'i Press University of Hawai‘i Press e44031ed-f19b-493a-b6b0-2a6d8788d971 Knowledge Unlatched 9780824887667 Knowledge Unlatched (KU) KU Select 2019: HSS Backlist Books University of Hawai‘i Press open access
spellingShingle Social Science
Anthropology
Cultural & Social
thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JH Sociology and anthropology::JHM Anthropology::JHMC Social and cultural anthropology
McLaren, Anne E.
Performing Grief
title Performing Grief
title_full Performing Grief
title_fullStr Performing Grief
title_full_unstemmed Performing Grief
title_short Performing Grief
title_sort performing grief
topic Social Science
Anthropology
Cultural & Social
thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JH Sociology and anthropology::JHM Anthropology::JHMC Social and cultural anthropology
topic_facet Social Science
Anthropology
Cultural & Social
thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JH Sociology and anthropology::JHM Anthropology::JHMC Social and cultural anthropology
url OCN: 1229504612
work_keys_str_mv AT mclarenannee performinggrief