Religion and charity: the social life of goodness in Chinese societies

Free markets alone do not work effectively to solve certain kinds of human problems, such as education, old age care, or disaster relief. Nor have markets ever been the sole solution to the psychological challenges of death, suffering, or injustice. Instead, we find a major role for the non-market i...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Weller, Robert Paul 1953- (Author)
Format: Electronic Book
Language:English
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Published: Cambridge Cambridge University Press 2018
In:Year: 2018
Further subjects:B Charity ; Religious aspects
B Charity Religious aspects
B Charities ; China
B Religion and sociology (China)
B Religion and sociology ; China
B Charities (China)
Online Access: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
Parallel Edition:Print version: 9781108418676
Description
Summary:Free markets alone do not work effectively to solve certain kinds of human problems, such as education, old age care, or disaster relief. Nor have markets ever been the sole solution to the psychological challenges of death, suffering, or injustice. Instead, we find a major role for the non-market institutions of society - the family, the state, and social institutions. The first in-depth anthropological study of charities in contemporary Chinese societies, this book focuses on the unique ways that religious groups have helped to solve the problems of social well-being. Using comparative case studies in China, Taiwan and Malaysia during the 1980s and onwards, it identifies new forms of religious philanthropy as well as new ideas of social 'good', including different forms of political merit-making, new forms of civic selfhood, and the rise of innovative social forms, including increased leadership by women. The book finally argues that the spread of these ideas is an incomplete process, with many alternative notions of goodness continuing to be influential
Engaged religions and the social life of goodness -- Legacies and discontinuities in China, Taiwan and Malaysia -- Political merit-making: religious philanthropy and the state -- A (Chinese) good person -- Gifts, groups, and goodness -- Innovating the good -- Alternative goodness
Item Description:Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 24 Oct 2017)
ISBN:1108290825
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1017/9781108290821