Falun Gong in the United States: An Ethnographic Study [Paperback]

Noah Porter (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2003

Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, has been described in many ways. It has been called qigong, one of many schools of physical exercises that aim at improving health and developing supernatural abilities. Scholars and mainstream media have referred it to as a spiritual movement or religion, although practitioners claim it is not a religion. It has been called a cult, in the pejorative sense rather than in a sociological context, by the Chinese government and by some Western critics. In the writings of Li Hongzhi, the founder of Falun Gong, it is referred to in different ways, though primarily as a cultivation practice. This research project addresses what Falun Gong is through ethnography. Research methods included participant-observation, semi-structured ethnographic interviews (both in-person and on-line), and content analysis of text and visual data from Falun Gong books, pamphlets, and websites. Research sites included Tampa, Washington D.C., and cyberspace. In order to keep my research relevant to the issues and concerns of the Falun Gong community, I was in regular contact with the Tampa practitioners, keeping them abreast of my progress and asking for their input. My findings are contrary to the allegations made by the Chinese Government and Western anti-cultists in many ways. Practitioners are not encouraged to rely on Western medicine, but are not prohibited from using it. Child practitioners are not put at risk. Their organizational structure is very loose. Finally, the Internet has played a vital role in Falun Gong's growth and continuation after the crackdown.

Product Details

• Paperback: 300 pages
• Publisher: Dissertation.Com. (July 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1581121903
• ISBN-13: 978-1581121902
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 7.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,231,135 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars groundbreaking Falun Gong research, August 5, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Falun Gong in the United States: An Ethnographic Study (Paperback)

A reviewer of another book about Falun Gong wrote: "it is surprising that there have not been more book-length scholarly accounts of this movement...it is certainly welcome by scholars and the general public who are looking to learn more about this movement from a scholarly point of view." For those who feel the same way, you will appreciate this book. It is a master's thesis, and is essentially unchanged from the version that was turned in to the university. While it is rather large and sophisticated for a master's thesis and certainly not light reading, it still may be accessible to a general audience because of the numerous examples provided in support of the theoretical points raised.

Topics covered include the classification of Falun Gong (religion, cult, political movement, etc.), identity issues, reasons for the persecution, demographics of practitioners, health care allegations, and more. I highly recommend this book for anyone with even the slightest interest in Falun Gong, religion, China, human rights issues, and the methodological issues involved with ethnographic research of highly-dispersed groups.