How Long to Read Polyandry and Wife-Selling in Qing Dynasty China

How Long Does it Take to Read Polyandry and Wife-Selling in Qing Dynasty China?

It takes the average reader 8 hours and 36 minutes to read Polyandry and Wife-Selling in Qing Dynasty China by Matthew H. Sommer

Assuming a reading speed of 250 words per minute. Learn more

Description

This book is a study of polyandry, wife-selling, and a variety of related practices in China during the Qing dynasty (1644-1912). By analyzing over 1200 legal cases from local and central court archives, Matthew Sommer explores the functions played by marriage, sex, and reproduction in the survival strategies of the rural poor under conditions of overpopulation, worsening sex ratios, and shrinking farm sizes. Polyandry and wife-selling represented opposite ends of a spectrum of strategies. At one end, polyandry was a means to keep the family together by expanding it. A woman would bring in a second husband in exchange for his help supporting her family. In contrast, wife sale was a means to survive by breaking up a family: a husband would secure an emergency infusion of cash while his wife would escape poverty and secure a fresh start with another man. Even though Qing law prohibited both practices under the rubric "illicit sexual relations," Sommer shows how magistrates charged with propagating and enforcing a fundamentalist Confucian vision of female chastity tried to cope with their social reality in the face of daunting poverty. This contradiction illuminates both the pragmatism of routine adjudication and the increasingly dysfunctional nature of the dynastic state in the face of mounting social crisis. By casting a spotlight on the rural poor and the experiences of both men and women, Sommer provides an alternative to the standard paradigms of women’s history that have long dominated scholarship on gender and sexuality in late imperial China.

How long is Polyandry and Wife-Selling in Qing Dynasty China?

Polyandry and Wife-Selling in Qing Dynasty China by Matthew H. Sommer is 499 pages long, and a total of 129,241 words.

This makes it 168% the length of the average book. It also has 158% more words than the average book.

How Long Does it Take to Read Polyandry and Wife-Selling in Qing Dynasty China Aloud?

The average oral reading speed is 183 words per minute. This means it takes 11 hours and 46 minutes to read Polyandry and Wife-Selling in Qing Dynasty China aloud.

What Reading Level is Polyandry and Wife-Selling in Qing Dynasty China?

Polyandry and Wife-Selling in Qing Dynasty China is suitable for students ages 12 and up.

Note that there may be other factors that effect this rating besides length that are not factored in on this page. This may include things like complex language or sensitive topics not suitable for students of certain ages.

When deciding what to show young students always use your best judgement and consult a professional.

Where Can I Buy Polyandry and Wife-Selling in Qing Dynasty China?

Polyandry and Wife-Selling in Qing Dynasty China by Matthew H. Sommer is sold by several retailers and bookshops. However, Read Time works with Amazon to provide an easier way to purchase books.

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