Brill’s Encyclopedia of China

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Guanxi
(1,678 words)

1. Guanxi as a Social Concept

Guanxi, or "social relations", are an important concept in the everyday life of the Chinese. Such relations help (and have helped in the past) to assert both individual and group interests. This concept is based on a specific view of society. According to the interpretation of many Chinese, society is primarily a hierarchical order that consists of a network of relations. Where…

Cite this page
Heberer, Thomas, “Guanxi”, in: Brill’s Encyclopedia of China, Managing Editor English Edition: Daniel Leese. Consulted online on 01 December 2023 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/1877-0339_bec_COM_00057>
First published online: 2008
First print edition: ISBN: 9789004168633, 20121018



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