Elisabeth Croll facts for kids

Elisabeth Joan "Lisa" Croll (born September 21, 1944 – died October 3, 2007) was a famous New Zealand anthropologist. An anthropologist is someone who studies human societies and cultures. Lisa Croll was special because she was the first anthropologist to visit villages in China. At that time, it was very hard for foreigners to enter the country. She wrote many books about China and worked for the United Nations and other international groups.

Early Life and Education

Lisa Croll was born Elisabeth Sprackett in a small town called Reefton in New Zealand on September 21, 1944. Her father was a Presbyterian minister, which is a type of church leader. Her mother's family helped start New Zealand's first university. Her family had connections to China from a long time ago. Her father even worked with Chinese refugees in the 1960s.

Lisa's parents taught her to love books and learning. They also taught her to feel a strong sense of duty. She preferred to be called "Lisa." She went to school in Christchurch. Later, she studied history at the University of Canterbury. In 1962, her family moved to Australia, but Lisa stayed in New Zealand. She met Jim Croll and they got married in 1966. They had two children, Nicholas and Katherine.

Lisa and Jim moved to London when Jim got a job at University College. Lisa continued her studies at SOAS, University of London. She earned a Master of Arts degree in Far Eastern Studies. In 1977, she completed her Doctor of Philosophy degree in Chinese anthropology. Her time at SOAS helped her become very interested in China and anthropology.

Career Highlights

Lisa Croll made special research trips to rural China. She was the first anthropologist to reach these villages when it was very difficult for foreigners to enter the country. She earned the trust of the Chinese people. This helped other Western anthropologists visit China later on.

Even though long trips were not possible then, Lisa became well-known at SOAS. In 1978, she published her first book, Feminism and Socialism in China. This book was a new study of women's movements in China. Her second book, Politics of Marriage in Contemporary China, came out in 1981. In this book, she used anthropology to look at political changes. She suggested that the Chinese government's marriage reforms, which were about free choice and equality, would be hard to put into practice. She thought this might cause problems between older people and the government.

Lisa Croll wrote several more books. These included Food in the Domestic Economy in China (1983) and Chinese Women Since Mao (1984). She also wrote China's One-Child Family Policy and Women and Rural Development in China in 1985.

Academic and International Work

Lisa Croll held many short-term positions at different universities. These included the University of Sussex, the University of Oxford, Princeton University, and the International Institute of Social Studies. In 1990, she became a lecturer in anthropology at SOAS. A year later, she became a senior lecturer. She became a reader in 1993, and then a full professor of Chinese anthropology in 1995.

Lisa started one of the first anthropology of development courses in the United Kingdom. She also pushed for social topics to be included in the program. During this time, she wrote two more books. These were From Heaven to Earth: Images and Experiences of Development in China (1993) and Changing Identities of Chinese Women (1995).

Lisa Croll also worked regularly for many United Nations agencies. These included the International Labour Organization, the World Bank, and UNICEF. She also worked with other international non-government organizations.

Later Career and Legacy

Lisa Croll advised the All-China Women's Federation on gender issues. She helped with campaigns to bring attention to the issue of missing girls and unwanted daughters in China and Asia. She also advised the Chinese government on how to reduce poverty, improve social development, and deal with gender issues.

She was an executive member of the Royal Society of Asian Affairs. She was also the vice-chairperson of the Great Britain-China Centre. In 1998, Lisa was appointed to the United Nations Council in Tokyo. She became its Vice-Chairperson in 2002 and then Chairperson in 2004.

Lisa Croll founded the Chair of the Centre of Chinese Studies. She was also the head of its Department of Development Studies. She became SOAS' Vice-Principal, focusing on external relations. Her last book, China's New Consumers: Social Development and Domestic Demand, was published in 2006.

Lisa Croll passed away from cancer on October 3, 2007, in London. She was supposed to receive a special award called the CMG from the Queen. This award was for her work in higher education and for helping people understand China's social development. Because she died before the ceremony, her daughter accepted the award for her.