Funeral of Mr. Wang: Life, Death, and Ghosts in Urbanizing China

The Funeral of Mr. Wang is a free open access ebook that explores social change in urbanizing China by examining funerals, the funerary industry, and practices of memorialization. It analyzes changes in family life, urban sociality, economic relations, the politics of memorialization, and beliefs about the dead and ghosts.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 190 pages
Publication date: 27 July 2021
Publisher: University of California Press

In rural China, funerals are conducted locally, on village land, by village elders. However, in urban areas, people lack land for burials and elder relatives to conduct funerals. The rapid urbanization in China, which has accelerated significantly in recent decades, has resulted in the establishment of cemeteries, state-run funeral homes, and small private funerary businesses.

The Funeral of Mr. Wang delves into social change in urbanizing China by exploring funerals, the funerary industry, and practices of memorialization. It examines shifts in family life, patterns of urban sociality, transformations in economic relations, the politics of memorialization, and the reverberations of these changes in beliefs about the dead and ghosts.

The book offers a comprehensive analysis of these developments, drawing on a range of sources, including interviews, surveys, and official documents. It sheds light on the complex dynamics that shape modern Chinese society, including the challenges and opportunities posed by rapid urbanization, the changing roles of families and communities, and the evolving attitudes toward death and the afterlife.

The Funeral of Mr. Wang is a valuable contribution to the study of urbanization, social change, and the cultural dynamics of China. It provides a nuanced and empathetic perspective on the experiences of individuals and families as they navigate the complexities of modern life in an increasingly urbanized world.

Weight: 282g
Dimension: 153 x 230 x 15 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780520381971