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Nationalism and the Politics of Interpretation: Divergent Readings of the Chrysanthemum and the Sword in China and the United States

Author(s)

Xiyi Chen

Affiliation(s)

Hamilton College, Clinton, USA

Abstract

This paper examines why Ruth Benedict’s The Chrysanthemum and the Sword has been received so differently in China and the United States. It argues that these contrasting readings arise not simply from methodological disagreement but from distinct national narratives and intellectual traditions that shape how scholars evaluate cultural interpretation. The study first situates the book in its wartime American context, highlighting how political needs informed its analytical framework. It then shows how the work resonated with Chinese narratives of moral endurance while prompting increasing critique in the United States as postwar scholarship emphasized fieldwork, complexity, and reflexive analysis. By comparing these responses, the paper demonstrates that nationalism influences both what readers find persuasive and the standards by which they judge cultural explanations.

Keywords

Nationalism; The Chrysanthemum and the Sword; Sino-US Comparative Analysis; American Anthropology; Chinese Intellectual Traditions

References

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