Anthropology and Community in Cambodia: Reflections on the Work of May Ebihara

Description

This collection explores -- in rich detail -- the nature of community in rural Cambodia. It examines the debates about the ways community -- or its absence -- is reflected in social organization, reciprocity, religion, gender, and a shared sense of trust. It also considers questions of community in the lead-up to and the aftermath of the catastrophic Pol Pot period. The book's essays have been inspired by the life and works of the late May Ebihara, who was a pioneer in the anthropology of rural Cambodia, and who was a friend and mentor to all of the contributors to the collection. Taken as a whole, like much of Ebihara's path-breaking work, this book deals with processes of grassroots transformation. The book also includes a bibliography of Ebihara's works, as well as an interview with her, in which she reflects on Cambodia and her career in anthropology.