In his recent book, "Filial Obsessions: Chinese Patriliny and Its Discontents," Sangran
employs a broad analysis of Chinese patriliny to propose a distinctive theoretical conceptualization of the
role of desire in culture. The book utilizes a unique synthesis of Marxian and psychoanalytic insights in
arguing that Chinese patriliny is best understood as, simultaneously, a mode of production of desire and
as instituted fantasy. The argument advances through discussions and analyses of kinship, family,
gender, filial piety, ritual, and (especially) mythic narratives. In each of these domains, Sangren addresses
the complex sentiments and ambivalences associated with filial relations. Unlike most earlier studies
which approach Chinese patriliny and filial piety as irreducible markers of cultural difference, Sangren
argues that Chinese patriliny is better approached as a topic of critical inquiry in its own right.
