Overview

This book explores the experiences of ethnic performers in a small Chinese city, aiming to better understand their work and migration journeys. Their unique position as service workers who have migrated within the same province provides valuable insights into the intersection of social inequalities related to the rural-urban divide, ethnicity and gender in contemporary China. Introducing the concept of 'intimacy as a lens', the author examines intimate negotiations involving emotions, sense of self and relationships as a way of understanding wider social inequalities. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork, the book reveals the bordering mechanisms encountered by performers in their work as they navigate between rural and urban environments, as well as between ethnic minority and Han identities. Emphasising the intimate and personal nature of these encounters, the book argues that they can help inform understanding of broader social issues.

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9781529225853

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Reviews

“In her excellent study, Jingyu Mao compellingly shows how close attention to intimacy, affect and embodiment in the workplace offers fresh insights into China’s rural/urban divide and gender, class and ethnic inequalities.” Amy Hanser, University of British Columbia

Author Information

Jingyu Mao is Lecturer in Sociology at the University of Edinburgh.

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