Moving Across Borders in China
Interdisciplinary Approaches to the Study of Cultural Diversity in Marginal Areas

Area 10 – Scienze dell'antichità, filologico-letterarie e storico-artistiche

This collection of essays explores the theme of ‘borders and marginality’ in historical and contemporary China by combining both theoretical and practical approaches. It provides innovative interpretations of these two concepts, in particular with reference to the dynamics of closure and flow, interdependency and mobility mainly in the following categories: cultural inheritance and cross-cultural patterns; loyalties and identity negotiation; economic types and shifting lifestyles; social change and transition. In so doing, it seeks to turn the spotlight beyond the traditional understanding of specific areas of study and offer a new interdisciplinary platform for the analysis of a few topical questions. The process of making and maintaining ethnic, ecological, urban and other types of borders is extensively examined. Another special type of ‘border’ analysed is the one that institutionally shapes and demarcates subjects into different fields of scientific inquiry. The main focus of this publication will be seen as an attempt at expanding the borders of epistemology and facilitating cross-border approaches toward conventional ‘protected’ areas of social investigation.

SINTESI