Mayfair Meihui Yang Gifts Favors and Banquets the Art of Social Relationships in China

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Dec 12, 2013 Gary Bruff rated it information technology was amazing

This is a truly great ethnography of a large, circuitous culture, that of modern Cathay. Yang guides the reader through the practices and expectations inherent in Guanxi, which can loosely be translated into English as 'networking' or 'connections'. Loosely. In fact the art of Guanxi has much to do with the human side of the massive Chinese (post-) communist bureaucracy. In essence, nothing would get done in Prc without the 'Gifts, Favors, and Banquets' which serve as the social lubricant in This is a truly not bad ethnography of a large, complex civilisation, that of modernistic Communist china. Yang guides the reader through the practices and expectations inherent in Guanxi, which can loosely exist translated into English as 'networking' or 'connections'. Loosely. In fact the fine art of Guanxi has much to do with the homo side of the massive Chinese (post-) communist bureaucracy. In essence, zero would get washed in People's republic of china without the 'Gifts, Favors, and Banquets' which serve equally the social lubricant in business and regime dealings. Partly reliant on the Maussean discovery that any souvenir creates an obligation to reciprocate, Guanxi in practice means that at that place is a kind of informal favor-accounting to all public and private business. You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours. One interesting attribute of this relates to the general perception that Guanxi constitutes a grade of corruption or a throwback to the age of Majestic China. True enough. But the book places emphasis on the need of Guanxi in order to intermission the ice and create a social human relationship in the face up of strong inertial tendencies. Sure, some school building might maybe collapse because a banquet served the place of a building inspection, but the point seems to be that in today'south Leviathan that is Communist china, in that location isn't really a better way. For case, the book reveals role of the secret of Communist china's new found capitalist success. Through a network of favors, workers are enabled to infringe extra capacity for individual ends in the communist run economy: unused vehicles, unneeded mechanism, extra space in the warehouse. This creates a flexibility and efficiency in capacity utilization that capitalism should be jealous of. Flexible ideas of ownership and obligation have resulted in a sonic boom of commerce in an economy that was moribund ii generations agone. ...more

Nov 14, 2014 Yang rated it really liked information technology

Despite its unsatisfactory parts, this book probably tin stay. For this reason I would like to requite it iv.5 stars. I call up the all-time part of this book is that while "guanxi" is de-centering, MFY never quite loses her focus on the workings of power revealed past the the workings of guanxi. I recollect information technology is non an easy task. And her give-and-take indeed increases my understanding of the working of Chinese state and its mod dilemmas. Despite its unsatisfactory parts, this book probably can stay. For this reason I would like to requite it iv.five stars. I call back the best part of this book is that while "guanxi" is de-centering, MFY never quite loses her focus on the workings of power revealed by the the workings of guanxi. I think it is not an easy task. And her discussion indeed increases my understanding of the working of Chinese land and its modern dilemmas. ...more