SERIES LIST
Series I. 1948, Graduate Study
As a graduate student with the Department of Anthropology at Cornell, Skinner
participated in a week-long field research project at Cundiyo, New Mexico. Included are his
field materials, field notes and report.
Box: 1
Series II. 1950, Indonesia
Skinner originally began his PhD fieldwork in Chengdu, China. But when the People's
Liberation Army won the civil war in Mainland China, Skinner had to discontinue his
research. Before he returned to Cornell, he went on a field survey of Southeast Asia to gain
an overview of the Chinese communities of the region, which resulted in the publication of
Report on the Chinese in Southeast Asia, December 1950 (1951). Included are notes of his
interviews in Jakarta and Surabaya during this period.
Box: 2
Series III. 1951-1955, Thailand
Skinner served as Field Director of the Cornell Southeast Asia Program, directing the
Cornell Research Center in Bangkok, Thailand, where he also carried out field research on
the Chinese of Thailand. This led to the publication of Chinese Society in Thailand: An
Analytical History (1957) and Leadership and Power in the Chinese Community of Thailand
(1958). The materials include demographic data, translations of Chinese articles, notes on
various forms of Chinese organizations, interviews with Chinese leaders, correspondences,
analysis of the Chinese leadership structure, press clippings and field notes.
Boxes:
1-4
Series IV. 1956-1958, Indonesia
Under the auspices of the Cornell Modern Indonesia Project, Skinner conducted and
directed field research in Java and West Kalimantan, focusing on the Chinese minority. In
the course of his research, Skinner collected demographic, historical and ethnographic data
on the Chinese. In addition, he also oversaw various projects in Tanggerang, Purwokerto and
Bangka.
Boxes: 2, 4-7
Series V. 1957-1962, 1957 Survey and Early Analysis
In April 1957, Skinner conducted a landmark survey with 1,785 high school students of
Chinese and indigenous Indonesian descent in Jakarta. This resulted in an unpublished
manuscript entitled "Communism and Chinese Culture in Indonesia: The Political Dynamics of
Overseas Chinese Youth." Included are administrative notes related to the mechanics of the
survey, the original survey questionnaires, coding keys and notes, and various draft
manuscripts.
Boxes: 7-11
Series VI. 1963-1988, Sibling Status and Statistical Analysis
Through these years, Skinner revisited the 1957 survey data many times, focusing his
efforts on the dynamics of sibling position. Included are grant proposals, various notes
concerning statistical analysis of the data and comments on students' papers related to the
study of sibling position.
Boxes: 11-13
Series VII. 1963-1988, Printouts
Statistical analysis printouts run between 1963 and 1988
Boxes: 14-18
