Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book presents the ways in which ideas of cultural differences are used by various social groups in order to make sense of the problems of everyday life. It looks at state-run lotteries for development projects in Sri Lanka and examines how it generates nationalism in the everyday world of ordinary people. The book utilizes rich ethnographic materials to argue that the definition and representation of the ‘minority’ as colourful, exotic, erotic and ‘primitive’ serves to homogenize the undefined majority group, the Han, as a modern, united people in China. It suggests some connections with tourism and examines the museum, a social artefact closely connected to tourism that has increasingly attracted scholarly attention. The book addresses a number of issues that lead us to challenge the essentialized notion of ‘national culture’.