Implicit comparisons, or why it is inevitable to study China in comparative perspective

Steinmüller, Hans ORCID: 0000-0002-5921-421X and Feuchtwang, Stephan (2022) Implicit comparisons, or why it is inevitable to study China in comparative perspective. In: Pelkmans, Mathijs and Walker, Harry, (eds.) How People Compare. Routledge-Cavendish, 172 - 190. ISBN 9781032229973

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Abstract

Methodological nationalism and the Sino-centrism of Chinese studies stand in the way of sustained comparisons in the study of China. But the supposed singularity of China either relies on implicit comparisons, or on the rejection of comparability. Comparison is a necessity, if only because there are so many contradictory claims to define ‘China’ and what should be part of it. Concepts such as society, empire, and civilization, as well as their substantialization (as in ‘Chinese society’), always rely on implicit comparisons that are accepted as shared fictions. We point to the effects of concealing comparative structures, with examples of Chinese social scientists defining native Chinese concepts; and we discuss the argumentative and political effects of revealing underlying comparisons. On this basis, we argue, it is inevitable to study China in comparative perspective.

Item Type:	Book Section
Official URL:	https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003283669
Additional Information:	© 2023 The Author(s)
Divisions:	Anthropology
Subjects:	G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GN Anthropology
Date Deposited:	27 Mar 2024 17:27
Last Modified:	17 Oct 2024 18:22
URI:	http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/122515

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