Affective Encounters: Everyday Life among Chinese Migrants in Zambia

This book examines Sino-African interactions at the everyday level,using ethnographic fieldwork in Lusaka,Zambia to explore the role of emotion/affect in forming and reproducing social relations and group identities among Chinese migrants.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 246 pages
Publication date: 29 April 2022
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Against the backdrop of China's rapidly expanding and often contentious activities in Africa, this book stands as one of the pioneering works in systematically documenting Sino-African interactions at the grassroots level. Conducted over sixteen months of ethnographic fieldwork at two contrasting sites in Lusaka, Zambia—a Chinese state-sponsored educational farm and a privately owned Chinese family farm—Di Wu delves into the intricacies of daily interactions among Chinese migrants and their Zambian hosts. Through a detailed examination of various communicative events, such as banquets, market negotiations, workplace disputes, and various social encounters across diverse settings, Wu highlights the pivotal role that emotion/affect plays in shaping and reproducing social relations and group identities among Chinese migrants. Wu argues that the significance of affective encounters in everyday situations, as well as unsuccessful attempts to generate affect, cannot be underestimated in understanding the full scope of Sino-African interactions.

This meticulously researched book offers a wealth of ethnographic detail, making it of immense relevance to scholars of anthropology, international development, and those with a keen interest in Sino-African relations. By shedding light on the nuanced and complex dynamics of everyday life, Wu's work contributes to a deeper understanding of the multifaceted and evolving relationship between China and Africa.

Weight: 460g
Dimension: 216 x 138 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367562731