Discovering Nature
Globalization and Environmental Culture in China and Taiwan

A description of the transformations in Chinese and Taiwanese responses to the environment across the twentieth century.

Robert P. Weller (Author)

9780521839594, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 16 February 2006

198 pages, 8 b/w illus.
23.1 x 15.5 x 1.5 cm, 0.412 kg

'… interesting and rich in cultural and historical discourse. … an achievement of environmental sociological endeavour … a useful base for further fruitful analysis. This anthropological book on the environment should be recommended to those scholars who are watching the ever-changing social contexts in modern Asia.' Anthropos

Robert P. Weller's richly documented account describes the extraordinary transformations which have taken place in Chinese and Taiwanese responses to the environment across the twentieth century. Indeed, both places can be said to have 'discovered' a new concept of nature. The book focuses on nature tourism, anti-pollution movements, and policy implementation to show how the global spread of western ideas about nature has interacted with Chinese traditions. Inevitably differences of understanding across groups have caused problems in administering environmental reforms. They will have to be resolved if the dynamic transformations of the 1980s are to be maintained in the twenty-first century. In spite of a century of independent political development, a comparison between China and Taiwan reveals surprising similarities, showing how globalization and shared cultural traditions have outweighed political differences in shaping their environments. The book will appeal to a broad readership from scholars of Asia, to environmentalists, and anthropologists.

1. Discovering nature
2. Night of the living dead fish
3. New natures
4. Stories of stone
5. Garbage wars and spiritual environments
6. On 'Policies from above and countermeasures from below'
7. Globals and locals.

Subject Areas: Social impact of environmental issues [RNT], Political economy [KCP], Political science & theory [JPA], Social & cultural anthropology, ethnography [JHMC], Globalization [JFFS], History of ideas [JFCX], General & world history [HBG], Regional studies [GTB]