Through the Eyes of an Anthropologist

On a cold December evening, in the thick cloud of cigarette smoke and clatter of the cocktail shaker, two women, Suvi Rautio and He Beili tell stories of what it means to see through the eyes of an anthropologist. Speaking to a crowded room of seventy people, mainly young Beijingers in their twenties and thirties, the event is part of Beijing's “Late Night Sessions” (yetan), a platform for thinkers to come together and share their work in an informal setting at nightfall. In this essay, I provide a brief overview of the presentations and discussions that unfolded.