Self as Method
In this candid, far-reaching conversation between sociologist Xiang Biao and writer Wu Qi, *Using Oneself as a Method* introduces a radical approach to understanding the world: treating your own personal experiences as a critical research tool. Drawing on Xiang’s formative years at Peking University—from a transformative year of military training to his ground-breaking fieldwork in Beijing’s Zhejiang Village—his struggles adapting to Oxford’s rigorous doctoral program, and his eye-opening time in Singapore, the book unpacks the tensions between academic theory and lived reality. It explores globalization’s unspoken dynamics, the rigid divide between 'center' and 'margins' in Chinese society, and the hollowing out of public discourse today. Rejecting abstract jargon and elite-centric thinking, Xiang advocates for rooting research in everyday life, embracing self-reflection, and empowering readers to turn their own stories into a lens to unpack hidden social truths.