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Feminization of Agricultural Production in Rural China a Sociological Analysis

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Feminization of Agricultural Production in Rural China a Sociological Analysis Feminization of Agricultural Production in Rural China A Sociological Analysis Xiangdan Meng Thesis committee Promotor Prof. Dr J.D. van der Ploeg Professor of Transition Processes in Europe Wageningen University Co-promotors Prof. Dr J. Ye Professor of College of Humanities and Development Studies (COHD) China Agricultural University (CAU), Beijing, China Dr H. Wu Associate Professor, College of Humanities and Development Studies (COHD) China Agricultural University (CAU), Beijing, China Other members Dr J.A.C. van Ophem, Wageningen University Prof. M. Fonte, University of Naples Federico II, Italy Prof. Dr C. Leeuwis, Wageningen University Dr S.M. Borras JR., International Institute of Social Studies, The Hague This research was conducted under the auspice of the Wageningen School of Social Sciences (WASS), Wageningen University. Feminization of Agricultural Production in Rural China A Sociological Analysis Xiangdan Meng Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of doctor at Wageningen University by the authority of the Rector Magnificus Prof.Dr M.J.Kropff, in the presence of the Thesis Committee appointed by the Academic Board to be defended in public on Tuesday 14 January 2014 at 4 p.m. in the Aula. Xiangdan Meng Feminization of Agricultural Production in Rural China: A Sociological Analysis 247 pages PhD thesis, Wageningen University, Wageningen, NL (2014) With references, with summaries in English, Dutch and Chinese ISBN: 978-94-6173-815-8 For my parents In memory of Zhuang(†) Acknowledgements Time flies. It is almost the end of my PhD life in Wageningen University. Going through all the documents in my office computer, especially every set of discussion notes with my supervisor, I know how I have come to this stage step by step. The thesis is not only about the research but also about my life in the Netherlands and in China in the past four years. I feel very worthy being in Wageningen and accomplishing my PhD here. Looking at this thesis, I cannot achieve it without the help of others. Here, I would like to express my greatest gratitude to the people who have helped and supported me throughout my PhD. First and foremost, I would like to thank all my supervisors: Prof. Dr. Jan Douwe van der Ploeg, Prof. Ye Jingzhong(叶敬忠) and Dr. Wu Huifang(吴惠芳). I am grateful to have you as my supervisors and I would not finish my PhD without you. Jan Douwe, thanks for your daily supervision and every discussion we made together. I am keeping all the notes of every discussion with you, which of course will be preserved for ever in my life because I really believe they are the „bibles‟ for my academic career, even in the future. I still remember the moment you looked at me calmly and you said “I am trying to tell you how to become a researcher, not a student anymore”. “To be an independent researcher” is the most important thing I learnt from you. I am a bit shy and modest, and you always encourage me wherever and whenever possible, even in the case that I only raised one question in a conference or I published a small piece of essay on Resource. Prof. Ye, thanks for recommending me to Jan Douwe to do the PhD in Wageningen University. I would not have the opportunity without your help. To be your student is one of the smartest decisions of my life. Thanks very much for the PhD and master supervision in the past six years. Thanks for providing me all kinds of project participation opportunities as well, which help me grow a lot. I always remember the scenery and the words you expressed to Jan Douwe when we had dinner together with Jan Douwe in Beijing in 2009 (the first face- to-face meeting between Jan Douwe and me). You said your feeling was like your daughter would be married. In my heart, your identity goes far beyond my promoter. I cannot imagine what my life would be if I had not met you in my life. Wu, in the past ten years, we were friends more than teacher-student relationship. When I felt worried and anxious about my academic and even personal life, you were always the one who stood by me and encouraged me. You are so smart, optimistic, responsible and diligent. You are always my model, in academic and personal life. Thanks for the spiritual support. Of course, thanks all the supervision of my bachelor, master and PhD. Of course, I would like to give my special thanks to Sabine de Rooij, who is also my co- supervisor in my mind. Sabine, thanks all the effort you did to me in the past four years. I remember the nice trips to Amsterdam and Keukenhof we made together when I was in the i Netherlands in the first year. I also remember all the enlightening discussions with you and all the encouragement from you. Thanks for the comments and the revision work of my thesis and thank you to be the friend that I can share with my personal emotions and feelings. I really appreciate everything you contribute to me. Thanks a lot. Then, I owe special thanks to the people helped me to complete this thesis. First, thanks China Scholarship Council (CSC) for providing me the grant to study in the Netherlands and thanks Chinese Embassy in the Netherlands, especially the Educational Section, for allowing me to go back to China to conduct the field work. Second, I would like to thank my supervisors again; Jan Douwe, Ye and Wu, for the financial support of my field work in China. Third, thanks my research guide Li Kezhi(李可之) and his family members. We have known each other more than five years. From a stranger to one of your family members, you witnessed the whole process how I conducted the research and how I grew up. Without your help, I cannot complete the research without big troubles. Maybe I was biten by the village dogs or I was refused to do the investigation many times. Thank you very much. Fourth, thanks a lot to the two students who helped me conduct the questionnaire investigation, Sun Ruixin(孙睿昕) and Jiang Wen(姜雯). Thanks for your contribution and I hope you can enjoy your work and life. Fifth, thanks all the people involved in my investigation. Thanks for your time and patience in finishing the long questionnaires and interviews, especially, thanks my six biography recording respondents very much for trusting me and telling me about your lives in detail. Special thanks to my biography respondent Zhuang(†), I hope you all well in paradise. Your life history was one of the drivers for me to finish the thesis and it always stimulated me to recover when I was upset, sad and even tended to give up. Sixth, I would give the special thanks to the English editor Hilary, the thesis cover designer Li Yanjun(李艳君) and the research site map drawer Zhi Hui( 智慧) and Ding Baoyin(丁 宝寅 ). Thanks for your contribution to this thesis. I also want to express my gratitude to the four opponents of my thesis defence, Prof. M.(Maria) Fonte, Dr. Saturnino (Jun) M. Borras JR., Prof. dr. ir. C.(Cees) Leeuwis and Dr. JAC (Johan) van Ophem. Thanks very much for your contribution to this dissertation. Besides, I really appreciate the comments from Prof. Anke Niehof and Prof. Anita Brumer in the process of finishing this thesis. I must give my thanks to my colleagues and friends in Wageningen University. In the past four years, without you, my life would not be colourful and complete. I remember the group outings, New Year dinners and all kinds of celebrations. Thanks to the RSO colleagues, Jan, Ruldof, Henk, Bettina, Dirk, Herma, Han, Els, Ina, Petra, Don, Willy, Guido and Joost. Thanks to the RSO previous and current secretaries, Corine, Coby, Aicha and Diana, for all kinds of bureaucratic help and emotional support. Of course, thanks to my fellow PhD friends who were struggling together with me in RSO, Simona, Pieter, Sanne, Nashiru, ii Wiebke, Gina, Femke, Esther, Cheron, Agnese, Leo, Ignacio, Rose, Joyce and Nargiza. I wish you a happy life and a bright future. Thanks all the foreign friends I met in Wageningen, Rome, Norway, Lisbon and Brazil. You were the witnesses of my growing up. Thanks for all kinds of sharing. Thanks to Carlise Schneider, Kassai Zsuzsanna, Rosalia Filippini, Dorien Korbee, Ana Paula Campos, Chaiane Leal Agne, Armando Fornazier, Manfredi De Leo, Enrico Avitabile, Phatra Samerwong, Mindaye Teshome, Mayara Martins, Alexandra Michaelsen, Glenn Sterner, Sarah Cline, Eric Marr, Helene Lie, Emily Wornell, Katja Strom Cappelen, Misty Mason Freeman, Ya-fen Lin, Kjersti Nordskog and Megan Carroll. No one can live without friends. Thanks especially go to all the Chinese friends I met in the Netherlands. You made me feel I was at home. Thanks for your accompanies which made my life more colorful. They are: 杨嬛，李静松，梁丹，莫盛毓，孙颖，王洛，芦晶，武岩， 刘敏，高冬丽，冯嫣，郑超惠，邴晓云，于淑敏，李嘉，刘文玲，张晋赟，张庶，高 巍，朱素贤，孙凯乐，张云梦，张钊，程旭，田利金，李肇颖，刘小莘，何为之，马 萧，滕菲，王小伟，孙研研，史云，刘珍，邹莹，赵建伟，严志纯，张娅楠，张学东， 钟准，黄贵籣，聂海松。Special thanks also go to the friends, Zhi Hui(智慧), Zhang Bo(张 博) and Wang Jianjun(王建均), in China who were always standing by me and giving me emotional support. There is no geographical limitation between us. I would like to offer my sincerest gratitude to my previous teachers in China Agricultural University in Beijing as well. Without your constant support and concern, I cannot achieve this success.
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