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Transnational Social Practice from Below: The Experiences of a Chinese
Leneage
Song, P.
Publication date
2002
Link to publication
Citation for published version (APA):
Song, P. (2002). Transnational Social Practice from Below: The Experiences of a Chinese
Leneage.
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Acknowledgements s
Itt is a pleasure at the end of a long period of research and writing to thank those who have enabled me too do this dissertation. Financial support was obtained from WOTRO. the Netherlands Foundation for thee Advancement of Tropical Research, for which 1 am very grateful. The Amsterdam School for Sociall Science Research and especially the Centre for Asian Studies Amsterdam granted me an affiliationn and assisted me constantly in intellectual matters but also in more mundane ones, like findingg housing. I am grateful to Hans Sonneveld, Jose Komen, Teun Bijvoet, Anneke Dammers, Miriamm May, Albertine van Peursen and Annelies Dijkstra for their indispensable support. They have madee it possible for me, coming from a very different society, to feel accepted and comfortable in Holland. .
II carried out this study with a strong team of supervisors composed by an anthropologist, a historian, a sociologistt and a Chinese area specialist. Prof. Otto van den Muijzenberg has spared no pains on supervisingg this study. He never wanted to stop in carefully examining the chapters. His questions aboutt the correctness of the hypothesis, of the numbers I used, even of my expressions challenged me too improve the text time and again. The enthusiastic encouragement from Prof. Heather Sutherland has givenn me constant confidence to explore this field. Her sharp sense of direction cleared up my confused thoughtss in the process of writing. And without the insistent pushing from Prof. Mario Rutten it would havee been completely impossible for me to present this book. His unfailing supervision on the basis of weeklyy meetings stimulated my desire and will to do a good job. I also benefited greatly from Dr Leo Douw'' s comments, based on his wide research experience in South China. I thank all of them for their effortss and support. I alsoo want to express my deep gratitude to Prof. Peter van der Veer for our regular theoreticall discussions on transnationalism: to Prof. Jan Breman for his insightful comments and suggestionss on my work while discussing it in his club; to Prof. Aihwa Ong for her theoretical inspiration. .
Thiss dissertation is based on the life stories and personal and collective experience of a group of people.. Although they reside in a number of different places in Yongchun, South Fujian region, Hong Kongg and Malaysia, a common feature has been recognizable for me from the start. They are sincere andd simple, showing enthusiasm in a style which, apparently, rural people can still possess. This group-characteristicc has made me feel close to my informants when I conducted my fieldwork. I felt no
hesitationn in asking them countless questions and to dig out the stories, experiences, events,
interactionss among individuals and groups. Without the support of my informants, it would have been absolutelyy impossible to gain the rich data necessary as the foundation of this dissertation. I wish to thankk all of them, especially Tee Keng Sing, Teh Hin Chong. Zheng Jishi, Cheng Dak Yuk, Lee Shin Cheng,, Ng Eng Sos, Teh Eng Ber, Lian Piyun, Qiu Jianxiong. Cheng Ching Chee, Liu Shenjia, Zheng Jinshu,, Zheng Qiyuan, Zheng Kaipuo and Xiu Qiao Ming. Many others have been very supportive duringg my fieldwork, especially Shamsul A.B. Lee Kam Hing, Low Keng Seng, Tee Hock Seng, Zheng Liunian.. Lee Yip Lim, Chan Yong Sin, Ong Eng Eng, Tee Kim Chia, Yee Tien Song, Lai Kuan Fook, Oonn Chong Eong, Tan Leong Min. Yap Hong Oon, C.C. Chang and Tjays Tunas Sheidaee. I am very gratefull to all of them.
II thank my friend Foong Lai Kwan, a Malaysia born third generation Chinese Migrant, now living and workingg in South Fujian, China. She herself is engaging in a new type of transnational practice. She correctedd the chapters with great interest, not only in terms of English, but also in relation to her direct experiencee of Malaysia. I also thank Rosemary Robson, my English editor, who corrected the text with greatt patience.
Finally,, my especial thanks go to my family: Yifeng and Jinge, who have supported my study firmly andd unshakably, not only in the mental sense but also in every other aspect. Yifeng has always been readyy to spend his time and energy to discuss my work with me. And Jinge has shown with the remarkablee achievement in his study and the development of his wonderful personality that I could feel easyy in leaving him behind. My mother's distinctive characteristics of independence constantly have encouragedencouraged me to pursue my goal in the long road of life.
