Spirits of Resistance and Capitalist Discipline (Suny Series in Anthropology of Work)

Rating:
Summary: a clear explanation of malaysian factory women's resistence
Review: Aihwa Ong takes an anthropological perspective in defining the occurences of spirit posessions and mass hysteria among the female factory workers in malaysia. By illustrating the evolution of the malaysian economy from agrarian to industrial, disintegration of the traditional family norms and reifying the responsibility of kin, the stage is set to portray the culture shock. the author uses case studies to show the diverse changes that affect the family and the distribution of economic responsibility. further, the conflict between the factory operators and the control imposed on them by upper levels of management adds to the tension that these factory workers must cope with. as these women use religious responses instead of more pragmatic methods to confront the issues of corporate and social control that are enacted upon them, they maginify the cultural perceptions that women are the spiritually susceptible, therefore, enabling a break and a vent for the archived anger and frustration that this economic system has smelted. I found the book informative and a better resource for sociological studies than anthropological endeavors, easy to read, and a worthy text for an Anthropology 101 or Sociology 111 course.

Rating:
Summary: Difficult for the novice
Review: I'm not an Anthropologist, and this book was a difficult read. Only the last 10 pages of 220 even mention the topic of Spirit Possesion in the factories. The first 100 pages seemed too tedious to be of use, but the whole second half was very useful to anyone interested in Malaysian society. Not really a casual read.

Rating:
Summary: A Postmodernist Approach
Review: Ong has come out with an interesting and well-researched piece on the subject of female resistance. But unfortunately, she only focusses on mass hysteria as the most commonly articulated resistance among young Malay women. But what about other forms of resistances such as overt and collective. What is the solution for women? Ong is under the impression that the old tranquil kampung life is the best remedy. Can these workers go back to the past? Is there a time-tunnel?