Ethnic Identity of the Kam People in Contemporary China: Government versus Local Perspectives

Based on three years of fieldwork in Zhanli, a remote Kam Village in Guizhou Province, Wang and Jiang explore the complex dynamics between the discursive practices of the local government and the villagers in relation to the reconstruction of Kam identity in response to social change, particularly the rise of rural tourism.

China’s profound demographic and socio-economic transformation has intensified the dominance of Han culture and language and seriously challenged the traditional culture...