ABSTRACT
This chapter reveals a complex situation of kinship practice in that particular historical moment. It shows the tremendous power of patrilineal ideology and kinship norms, as villagers felt compelled to recognize their kinship position in public and perform the funeral in accordance with traditionally defined kinship norms, despite the state-sponsored, antitradition radicalism during the Cultural Revolution. The chapter argues that both community and kinship relations tend to be incorporated into person-centered guanxi networks. It examines some features of current kinship practices, including the elasticity of kinship distance, the uncertainty of kinship alliance, the active role played by women, and the shift in emphasis from cross-generation links to same-generation connections. The chapter discusses major factors that contribute to an understanding of the kinship system in rural China – that is, social change, scholarly models, and the changing practice of kinship itself.
