Village China Under Socialism and Reform: A Micro-History, 1948-2008

Description

Village China Under Socialism and Reform offers a comprehensive account of rural life after the communist revolution, detailing villager involvement in political campaigns since the 1950s, agricultural production under the collective system, family farming and non-agricultural economy in the reform, and everyday life in the family and community. Li's rich examination draws on original documents from local agricultural collectives, newly accessible government archives, and his own fieldwork in Qin village of Jiangsu province to highlight the continuities in rural transformation. Firmly disagreeing with those who claim that recent developments in rural China represent a radical break with pre-reform sociopolitical practices and patterns of production, Li instead draws a clear history connecting the current situation to ecological, social, and institutional changes that have persisted from the collective era. Contents List of Illustrations Notes on Weights, Measures, and Currency Administrative Changes in Qin Village Preface 1. Introduction Part One. Deference and Defiance in the 1950s 2. Interest, Identity, and Ideology: The Collectivization of Agriculture 3. “People’s Disturbances”: Resistance to Agricultural Collectivization 4. The Great Leap Forward and Its Aftermath Part Two. Power and Control Under Socialism 5. “Rightful Weapons”: Political Participation Under the Collective 6. The Cultural Revolution: A Multifaceted Experience 7. The Reach of the State: Rural Control During the Cultural Revolution Part Three. Individuals, the Family, and the Collective 8. Everyday Strategies for Team Farming 9. The Family Cycle and Income Disparity 10. Agricultural Growth and Social Change Part Four. The Reform Era 11. Decollectivization 12. The Retreat of the State: Village Politics and Community Life 13. From Government to Governance 14. Conclusion Notes References List of Characters Index