The Fox Spirit, the Stone Maiden, and Other Transgender Histories from Late Imperial China by Sommer, Matthew H.
The Fox Spirit, the Stone Maiden, and Other Transgender Histories from Late Imperial China by Sommer, Matthew H.

The Fox Spirit, the Stone Maiden, and Other Transgender Histories from Late Imperial China

In imperial China, people moved away from the gender they were assigned at birth in different ways...
$402.98 SGD
$402.98 SGD
SKU: 9780231214124
Product Type: Books
Please hurry! Only 258 left in stock
Author: Matthew H. Sommer
Format: Hardcover
Language: English
Subtotal: $402.98
10 customers are viewing this product
The Fox Spirit, the Stone Maiden, and Other Transgender Histories from Late Imperial China by Sommer, Matthew H.

The Fox Spirit, the Stone Maiden, and Other Transgender Histories from Late Imperial China

$402.98
The Fox Spirit, the Stone Maiden, and Other Transgender Histories from Late Imperial China by Sommer, Matthew H.

The Fox Spirit, the Stone Maiden, and Other Transgender Histories from Late Imperial China

$402.98
Author: Matthew H. Sommer
Format: Hardcover
Language: English
Description

In imperial China, people moved away from the gender they were assigned at birth in different ways and for many reasons. Eunuchs, boy actresses, and clergy left behind normative gender roles defined by family and procreation. "Stone maidens"--women deemed physically incapable of vaginal intercourse--might depart from families or marriages to become Buddhist or Daoist nuns. Anatomical males who presented as women sometimes took a conventionally female occupation such as midwife, faith healer, or even medium to a fox spirit. Yet they were often punished harshly for the crime of "masquerading in women's attire," suspected of sexual predation, even when they had lived peacefully in their communities for many years.

Exploring these histories and many more, this book is a groundbreaking study of transgender lives and practices in late imperial China. Through close readings of court cases, as well as Ming and Qing fiction and nineteenth-century newspaper accounts, Matthew H. Sommer examines the social, legal, and cultural histories of gender crossing. He considers a range of transgender experiences, illuminating how certain forms of gender transgression were sanctioned in particular social contexts and penalized in others. Sommer scrutinizes the ways Qing legal authorities and literati writers represented and understood gender-nonconforming people and practices, contrasting official ideology with popular mentalities. An unprecedented account of China's transgender histories, this book also sheds new light on a range of themes in Ming and Qing law, religion, medicine, literature, and culture.

Author: Matthew H. Sommer
Publisher: Columbia University Press
Published: 03/19/2024
Pages: 384
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.61lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.00w x 1.00d
ISBN: 9780231214124

About the Author
Matthew H. Sommer is the Bowman Family Professor of History at Stanford University. He is the author of Sex, Law, and Society in Late Imperial China (2000) and Polyandry and Wife-Selling in Qing Dynasty China: Survival Strategies and Judicial Interventions (2015).
Shipping & Return

Returns Policy

You may return most new, unopened items within 30 days of delivery for a full refund. We'll also pay the return shipping costs if the return is a result of our error (you received an incorrect or defective item, etc.).

You should expect to receive your refund within four weeks of giving your package to the return shipper, however, in many cases you will receive a refund more quickly. This time period includes the transit time for us to receive your return from the shipper (5 to 10 business days), the time it takes us to process your return once we receive it (3 to 5 business days), and the time it takes your bank to process our refund request (5 to 10 business days).

If you need to return an item, simply login to your account, view the order using the "Complete Orders" link under the My Account menu and click the Return Item(s) button. We'll notify you via e-mail of your refund once we've received and processed the returned item.

Shipping

We can ship to virtually any address in the world. Note that there are restrictions on some products, and some products cannot be shipped to international destinations.

When you place an order, we will estimate shipping and delivery dates for you based on the availability of your items and the shipping options you choose. Depending on the shipping provider you choose, shipping date estimates may appear on the shipping quotes page.

Please also note that the shipping rates for many items we sell are weight-based. The weight of any such item can be found on its detail page. To reflect the policies of the shipping companies we use, all weights will be rounded up to the next full pound.

Review

Related Products

Example product title
$402.98 SGD
$402.98 SGD
Example product title
$402.98 SGD
$402.98 SGD
Example product title
$402.98 SGD
$402.98 SGD
Example product title
$402.98 SGD
$402.98 SGD
Example product title
$402.98 SGD
$402.98 SGD
Example product title
$402.98 SGD
$402.98 SGD
Example product title
$402.98 SGD
$402.98 SGD
Example product title
$402.98 SGD
$402.98 SGD
Example product title
$402.98 SGD
$402.98 SGD
Example product title
$402.98 SGD
$402.98 SGD

Recently Viewed Products