This anthropological study of a workers' village in North Taiwan
makes an important contribution to the comparative literature on
Chinese and Taiwanese social organization. Based on fieldwork
conducted in 1973 and 1978, the study is exceptional not only
because of its excellent data but also because the village itself
was unique. Unlike villages previously studied and written about,
Ploughshare was neither an agricultural nor a fishing village, but
rather one whose inhabitants earned their living mostly from coal
mining, knitting, and other non-agrarian activities. Culture and
environmental context thus shaped social organization there
differently than in other Taiwanese villages. This ethnography
links local data to surrounding socioeconomic spheres: it shows the
village's relationship to its region, to Taiwan as a whole, and to
the international economy. It also captures an important point in
time, as Taiwan was undergoing the "economic miracle" that brought
it into the ranks of developed countries. Stevan Harrell's new
preface highlights changes not only in the village over the last
several decades, but also in the ways that anthropologists think
about culture and Taiwan.
"Ploughshare Village," with its rich descriptions and analyses,
will be of value to anthropologists, sociologists, economists, and
China specialists.
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