Opening Up: Youth Sex Culture and Market Reform in Shanghai

New Books for General Readers Books by Subject Books by Series Info and Services Journals Chicago Manual of Style Scientific Style and Format Opening Up Youth Sex Culture and Market Reform in Shanghai JAMES FARRER BUY 7 9 Paper $31.00 ISBN: 9780226238715 Published May 2002 Cloth $77.00 ISBN: 9780226238708 Published May 2002 Prices and Formats Paper $31.00 ISBN: 9780226238715 Published May 2002 Cloth $77.00 ISBN: 9780226238708 Published May 2002 Description 394 pages | 10 halftones, 4 tables | 6 x 9 | © 2002 From teen dating to public displays of affection, from the "fishing girls" and "big moneys" that wander discos in search of romance to the changing shape of sex in the Chinese city, this is a book like no other. James Farrer immerses himself in the vibrant nightlife of Shanghai, draws on individual… Read More Table of Contents Acknowledgments Introduction Sex and the Market 1Opening Up And Other Stories 2Scenes High and Low 3Characters Big and Small 4True Stories From Romance to Irony 5Talking Friends For Love and for Fun 6Feelings Good and Memorable 7Virginity Purity of Purpose 8Making Love And Talking about It 9Play Dance and Sex Methodological Appendix Notes Bibliography Index Subjects Anthropology: General Anthropology Asian Studies: East Asia Economics and Business: Economics--Urban and Regional Gender and Sexuality Media Studies Rhetoric and Communication Sociology: Race, Ethnic, and Minority Relations | Social History | Sociology--Marriage and Family | Urban and Rural Sociology Contents Review Quotes Xin Huang, | Archives of Sexual Behavior “Farrer’s book, with its first-hand data and careful analysis focused on sexual cultures among unmarried urban youth, unofficial public culture, and interactions in daily life and leisure, contributes to an emerging literature on sex and love in contemporary China. . . . It is an invaluable resource on sexual culture in contemporary China for students and general readers as well as for specialists in sexual and gender studies.” Arie Darlie | Journal of the History of Sexuality “This is a fine and nuanced study of sexuality in one Chinese city that offers much food for thought for studies of sexuality in general. Not the least of the book’s virtues is Farrer’s writing, which is infused with eloquent sensitivity to and compassion for the ways in which his subjects strive to cope with the sexual challenges of a dizzying rush to modernity.” Robert L. Moore | Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute “A ground-breaking ethnography. [Farrer’s} detailed descriptions of the talk and the behaviour of young Shanghainese make this a valuable contribution to our understanding of contemporary China.” William Jankowiak | China Journal “Anyone interested in Chinese society will wish to engage in a dialogue with this book. It makes a truly valuable contribution by returning our attention to the relationship between moral codes, performance and behaviour. In so doing, Farrer has produced a conceptual framework that enables us to begin to talk about the changes and continuities that are part of urban China’s social landscape. For anyone intrigued by contemporary China this is a must-read.” Travis Kong | Sexualities “I enjoyed very much reading this extraordinary book with such rich and deep ethnographic data, yet Farrer’s stories are not comforting stories, but ‘images of fragmented worlds of consumption, romantic nostalgia, professional success, and small pleasures.’” Beverley Hooper | Journal of Asian Studies “As an analysis of the sexual culture of Shanghai youth in the second half of the nineties, Farrer’s book is revealing and persuasive. . . . A sophisticated and compelling analysis of youth sex culture in Shanghai and a striking example of the urban ethnography that can be done in the PRC.” Alan Searl | Asian Affairs “This refreshing ethnographic study explores the new youth sex culture being created in contemporary Shanghai as it shifts to a market-based economy. Farrer immerses himself in the city’s vibrant nightlife, conducts individual and group interviews, and examines popular media to provide a provocative glimpse of the sex lives of young Chinese. For Farrer, sex is a lens through which we can understand how China imagines and understands itself in the wake of globalization. Students of Chinese anthropology, media and culture will find this a fascinating study. . . . The reader gains a refreshing sense of the textures of everyday life in one part of free-wheeling China and a good understanding of the social impact of China’s remarkable ongoing transformation.” Pacific Affairs “Farrer’s volume marks a new page in studying Chinese sexuality, courtship, marriage, family and gender relations. . . . Using a wide range of informants, interviews and magazine stories, he closely relates the recently developed sexual freedom to the rapid development of the market economy. . . . A necessary addition to Chinese studies in general and the research of Chinese sexual culture, gender, marriage and the family in particular.” For more information, or to order this book, please visit http://www.press.uchicago.edu