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A Case Study in City Z of Eastern China

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A Case Study in City Z of Eastern China Exploring Community Building by Way of Community Construction in Contemporary China: A Case Study in City Z of Eastern China Thesis submitted in accordance with the requirements of the University of Liverpool For the degree of Doctor in Philosophy by Litao Song March 2018 Department of Sociology, Social Policy and Criminology University of Liverpool Exploring Community Building by Way of Community Construction in Contemporary China: A Case Study in City Z of Eastern China Litao Song Abstract The question of community has been robustly debated by Chinese scholars. I approach the topic by drawing from the community research in Western countries at the beginning of this thesis to interpret ‘community’ in China and further research is explored with regards to community construction. It is argued by this research that ‘community’ was similarly used by Chinese scholars as rural villages at the very beginning but it has also developed particularities in China’s particular context. By reviewing the socio-cultural and historical context of China’s society, ‘community’ in communist forms provides further details to understand the rise of community construction. As a response to the reform of the social welfare system, restructuring of urban administration and the demands of urbanisation, ‘community’ in China has been accommodated in urban and rural environments, both in pre-existing and newly-constructed ways. Those urban and rural environments become the background against which policies and practices contest and struggle with each other over influence on community construction. In particular, rural villages and communities that have been transformed by the implementation of community construction are the focus of this research. This thesis qualitatively analyses the campaign of community construction currently being undertaken in China by the newly-constructed community PY in city Z in Shandong province, which is situated in Eastern China. Accordingly, fieldwork data has been collected from the case study area, mainly by documentary research, observation and semi-structured interviews, regarding the extraordinary experiences of communal life for residents during the past years, during and after community construction. By using the newly-constructed community as a key exemplar, the thesis comprises an attempt to contribute to the exploration of community building in the context of community construction. Put another way, community construction laid the foundation for an investigation of ‘community’ that lies in residents’ socioeconomic life in the old villages and the newly-constructed community. In order to critically interrogate transformations brought about by community construction, this thesis mainly focuses on the specific lens of processing from rural to urban living. From interpersonal relations, during and after community construction, the influence of physical circumstances and issues with regard to traditions and culture, this thesis shows that a newly-constructed ‘community’ is accommodating pragmatically to community construction. Community building by way of community construction, the general conclusion is, the newly-constructed settlement by integrating villages is promising for the emergence of ‘community’, though some problematic aspects exist as well. The future of communities in Chinese society depends on whether the conflicts between the socioeconomic needs of residents, namely achievement of urban status and government’s political demands can be reconciled. i Acknowledgements I would like to express my gratitude to my supervisors, Dr. Karen Evans and Dr. Lynn Hancock. Thanks for the chance they gave me four years ago to do a PhD in University of Liverpool and because of this, I have experienced a different life in England and learnt more in a different academic environment. More importantly, without their guidance and support throughout the research process my research would not have been possible to reach this far. There is an old adage in China: He/she who is a teacher for a day is the father/mother for a lifetime. I will treasure these great experiences as well as the good qualities that I learned from them for life. Thanks to my colleagues in the Department of Sociology, Social Policy and Criminology: Jonathan, my friend, thank you for helping me to improve my English writings. I also want to say thanks to my colleagues, Maike, Will, Katie and Aidan, thanks for your help during my study and life in England. I also would like to say thank you to the lecturers who did my IAP (independent assessment panel) every year, stressful but helpful. Additionally, it is a good way to know the difference of educational system between China and UK from the procedures that ensure me to keep my pace for PhD study. I have always received support and love from my parents and my big brother. It is their support that makes me persist to the end. My girlfriend makes me believe that I have no regrets at the end of my PhD journey, thank you and love you. I am grateful to my motherland - China and especially that my research is funded by Chinese scholarship council, thanks for the long term support for my research in Liverpool. I would also say thanks to the people who offered help during my fieldwork and the participants who participated in the interviews, though I cannot give their names here. ii Contents Abstract ........................................................................................................................ i Acknowledgements ..................................................................................................... ii Chapter One Introductory chapter .......................................................................... 1 Introduction ......................................................................................................... 1 The research objectives and questions .............................................................. 4 Research objectives ....................................................................................... 4 Research questions ........................................................................................ 4 Outline of chapters.............................................................................................. 5 Chapter Two Community and its usage in modern China .................................. 10 Introduction ....................................................................................................... 10 2.1 A review of Western community research ............................................... 11 2.1.1 Community: from ‘community’ to industrial bureaucratic society .... 11 2.1.2 Community: social networks and social capital ................................. 14 2.1.3 Community: from the consideration of construction ......................... 17 2.2 The acknowledgement of community in early modern China and pre- reform era .......................................................................................................... 18 2.2.1 Villages as counterparts of communities - the foundations of Chinese society .......................................................................................................... 19 2.2.2 Socialist forms as counterparts of community ................................... 22 2.3 Practical implications: community in China’s reality ............................. 24 Conclusion ......................................................................................................... 27 Chapter Three The revitalisation of ‘community’ by way of state-promotion in China: A background research of community construction ................................ 29 Introduction ....................................................................................................... 29 3.1 The demands of a transitional age: the rise of community construction ............................................................................................................................ 30 3.1.1 Reform of social welfare systems....................................................... 30 3.1.2 Restructuring urban administration .................................................... 31 iii 3.1.3 Urbanisation (chengshihua 城市化) and ‘city and town-risation’ (chengzhenhua 城镇化): the role of ‘community’ in community construction ................................................................................................. 33 3.2 Community construction ............................................................................ 35 3.3 Community construction in China: a study of existing studies .............. 37 3.3.1 Community construction and economic change................................. 38 3.3.2 Community construction, social networks and social capital ............ 39 3.3.3 Community construction, culture and traditions ................................ 41 3.3.4 Community construction or social construction? ............................... 42 3.3.5 Community construction and path choices......................................... 43 3.4 The transitional role of communities in community construction and urbanisation ....................................................................................................... 46 Conclusion ......................................................................................................... 46 Chapter Four Theoretical tools, methodology and fieldwork .............................. 48 Introduction ......................................................................................................
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