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This much-needed work on ethnicity in Asia offers a major sociological analysis of Hui Muslims in contemporary China. Using both qualitative and quantitative data derived from fieldwork in Lanzhou between March 2001 and July 2004, it looks at the contrast between the urban life of the Han people, the ethnic majority in the city of Lanzhou, and the Hui people, the largest ethnic minority in the city, and assesses the link between minority ethnicity and traditional behaviour in urban sociology and research on ethnic groups of China. In-depth interviews and survey data provides a fresh perspective to the study of ethnic behaviour in China, and offers a rich account of Hui behaviour in seven aspects of urban life: neighbouring interaction, friendship formation, network behaviour, mate selection methods, spouse choice, marital homogamy, and household structure. Contributing to the global discourse on Islam, religious fundamentalism and modernity, this book will be invaluable to anyone interested in Chinese society, Islam, religion, development, urban studies, anthropology and ethnicity.
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Ethnicity and Urban Life in China This book offers a major sociological analysis of Hui Muslims in contemporary China, using both qualitative and quantitative data derived from fieldwork in Lanzhou between March 2001 and July 2004. It looks at the contrast between the urban life of the Han people, the ethnic majority in the city of Lanzhou, and the Hui people, the largest ethnic minority in the city, to assess the link between minority ethnicity and traditional behavior in urban sociology and research on ethnic groups of China. This book provides a rich account of Hui behavior in seven aspects of urban life: neighboring interaction, friendship formation, network behavior, mate selection methods, spouse choice, marital homogamy, and household structure. This empirical analysis is guided by sociological theories and focuses on the link between minority ethnicity and traditional ways of life, and the effect of status attainment on modern behavior among Hui Muslims. Providing a fresh perspective to the study of ethnic behavior in China and supported by in-depth interviews and survey data, Ethnicity and Urban Life in China contributes to the global discourse on Islam, religious fundamentalism and modernity and as such will appeal to anyone interested in Chinese society, Islam, religion, development, urban studies, anthropology and ethnicity. Xiaowei Zang is Associate Professor in the Department of Asian and International Studies, City University of Hong Kong. Routledge Studies on China in Transition Series Editor: David S. G. Goodman 1 The Democratisation of China Baogang He 2 Beyond Beijing Dali Yang 3 China’s Enterprise Reform Changing state/society relations after Mao You Ji 4 Industrial Change in China Economic restructuring and conflicting interests Kate Hannan 5 The Entrepreneurial State in China Real estate and commerce departments in reform era Tianjin Jane Duckett 6 Tourism and Modernity in China Tim Oakes 7 Cities in Post Mao China Recipes for economic development in the reform era Jae Ho Chung 8 China’s Spatial Economic Development Regional transformation in the lower Yangzi delta Andrew M. Marton 9 Regional Development in China States, globalization and inequality Yehua Dennis Wei 10 Grassroots Charisma Four local leaders in China Stephan Feuchtwang and Wang Mingming 11 The Chinese Legal System Globalization and local legal culture Pitman B. Potter 12 Transforming Rural China How local institutions shape property rights in China Chi-Jou Jay Chen 15 Cultural Nationalism in Contemporary China The search for national identity under reform Yingjie Guo 16 Elite Dualism and Leadership Selection in China Xiaowei Zang 17 Chinese Intellectuals Between State and Market Edward Gu and Merle Goldman 18 China, Sex and