Bodies of Difference: Experiences of Disability and Institutional Advocacy in the Making of Modern China

by Matthew Kohrman

Bodies of Difference chronicles the compelling story of disability's emergence as an area of significant sociopolitical activity in contemporary China. Keenly attentive to how bodies are embedded in discourse, history, and personal exigency, Matthew Kohrman details ways that disability became a fount for the production of institutions and identities across the Chinese landscape during the final decades of the twentieth century. He looks closely at the creation of the China Disabled Persons' Federation and the lives of numerous individuals, among them Deng Pufang, son of China's Communist leader Deng Xiaoping.

Genres: Anthropology

304 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Aria Wanek]

Interesting conceptually and nice writing but a bit outdated and very male-centered in perspective, which he was aware of to a degree but lacked some reflexivity when making sweeping statements. Liked the chapter on motorized bikes!