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Conducting Criminological Fieldwork in China: a Guanxi Approach?

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Abstract

Conducting criminological fieldwork in a non-Western society remains a fascinating and mysterious enterprise. Among existing studies, very few have systematically examined the process and dynamics of conducting fieldwork in the Chinese criminal justice context. This study, based on the author’s own experiences, reflects on the key stages in such fieldwork, including obtaining access to research, interviewing and observing, and addressing ethical concerns. At its core, the study seeks to examine two key dynamics, guanxi and mianzi, focusing on how they work and the ways in which they can shape the outcomes of fieldwork. This study serves as a preliminary step in the hope that future research that endeavors to develop indigenous criminology in China will provide a proper theoretical framework and a more systematic examination.

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Notes

  1. China has long been criticized by human rights organizations that the exact number of death penalty executions each year is never made public. However, a recent study by Hood and Hoyle (2014) suggests that the number is decreasing.

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Acknowledgments

The author would like to thank all of the participants in her field research. The author is also grateful for all the comments and feedback from the anonymous reviewers. Writing-up of this article is sponsored by Shanghai Pujiang Program.

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  1. School of Criminal Justice, Shanghai University of Political Science and Law, Waiqingsong Road 7989, Shanghai, 201701, China

    **aoyu Yuan

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  1. **aoyu Yuan
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Correspondence to **aoyu Yuan.

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All procedures performed involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Informed consent was obtained from all participants included in the study.

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Yuan, X. Conducting Criminological Fieldwork in China: a Guanxi Approach?. Asian Criminology 13, 79–90 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11417-017-9259-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11417-017-9259-4

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