This book offers a new interpretation of the evolution and modernization of social order in China’s grass-roots communities. Traditionally, social order at the grass-roots level was maintained through an organic combination of self-rule by the people and authority rule by political leaders. As a hybrid form of social order, therefore, it not only has features of autonomy but also reflects the power of the state apparatus. Despite the modernization of the nation-state, the old rules sustaining social order at the grass-roots level are still very much in effect and have seamlessly integrated into the new social structure. Unless we fully appreciate this fundamental continuity, we would not be able to understand how social order at the grass-roots level today is upheld and functions. And the modernization of social order at the grass-roots level is most fruitfully studied from the perspectives of the construction of modern public social relations and the development of grass-roots systems of social autonomy.
Author(s): Qingzhi Zhou
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
Year: 2022
Language: English
Pages: 357
City: Singapore
Contents
About the Author
List of Figures
List of Tables
1 Foreword
Part I The Transformation of Traditional Grassroots Social Order and Significance of Its Modern Construction
2 The Cognitive Paradigms for Understanding Traditional Grassroots Social Order
2.1 Self-Governance or Official Governance
2.2 Different Cognitive Paradigms for Understanding Self-Governance and Official Governance
2.3 The Theoretical Origin of the Cognitive Paradigms
3 Rules of Order: Structure of Social Authorities at the Grassroots
3.1 Rules and Order
3.2 Public Sphere and Private Sphere
3.3 Rule of Rituals: A Method or Something Else
4 The Structure of Social Order and the Relationship Between Society and State
4.1 Order Through the Rule of Rituals and Law and the Relationship Between the Society and the State
4.2 The Order Dimension of Tax System: Relationship of Personal Bondage in the Imperial Society
4.3 The Structural Pattern of Social Authority and Power at the Grassroots
5 Grassroots Governance by Local Government Clerks and Runners and Its Modern Transformation: Social Restructuring and Remolding of Social Order
5.1 Rectification of Grassroots Governance by Local Government Clerks and Runners
5.2 Social Restructuring and Modernization of Grassroots Authority
5.3 From Order Through the Rule of Rituals and Laws to Order Through Modern Authority
6 The Significance of Modern Construction of Grassroots Social Order
6.1 The Historical Evolution of Social Order Transformation
6.2 Social Authority Order System at the Grassroots
6.3 The Nature and the Changes of Public Social Relationships
Part II The Contemporary Authority Structure and Governance System of Grassroots Social Order
7 The Historical Basis of the Governance Order in Rural Society
7.1 The Order of Governance in Rural Society
7.2 The Principle of Order and the Form of Authority in Rural Society
7.3 The Ruling Characteristics of Governance in Rural Society
8 Finance and Governance (1): The Nature of Government Power and Its Boundaries
8.1 Changes of Power Boundaries Reflected in the Fiscal Account
Looking at Power Changes from Fiscal Revenue
The Mobilization Ability of Local Governments
Tax Revenue and Non-budget Revenue
Looking at Power Changes from Fiscal Expenditures
The Scope of Public Fiscal Expenditure Is Wide, and the Investment in Social Governance Has Increased
The Expenditure of Funds and Special Funds Is Concentrated, and the Risk of Land Fiscal Expenditure Increases
The Non-public Nature of the Fiscal Structure and the Nature of Fiscal Growth
Source of Taxation: Fiscal Expansion
Tax Expenditure: Growth in the Non-public Sector
The Nature of Resource Monopoly and Increase in Fiscal Revenue
8.2 Functions of Public Finance and Public Demands
The Status Quo of Difficulty in Fiscal Operation in Township
Internal Factors in the Difficulty of Fiscal Operation in Townships
9 Finance and Governance (2): The Significance of Public Finance Restructuring at the Grassroots for Social Governance Transformation
9.1 Public Finance and Its Significance for Modern Governance
9.2 Between Imperium and Dominium
9.3 The Significance of Institutional Reform for Public Finance Construction
9.4 Construction of Public Finance and Transformation of Social Governance
10 Rules and Order: The Transformation of Grassroots Social Governance
10.1 Order of Governance and Authority
10.2 Structure of Grassroots Governance by Authority
10.3 From Order Under Rule by Government Authoritative to Order Under Self-Rule
10.4 Public Rules and Their Implications for Social Order
11 Grassroots Public Political Culture
11.1 The Significance of Public Political Culture for Governance
11.2 The Public Sphere and Public Political Culture
11.3 Transformation of the Public Sphere and Evolution of Public Political Culture
11.4 Building a Public Political Culture Based on Political and Cultural Ties
12 Forms of Rights for Members of the Rural Society: From Primary Community to State-Based Community
12.1 From Small Community to Large Community
12.2 Foundation of Rural Governance: Lack of Civil Rights
12.3 Full Civil Rights and Transformation of Rural Governance
12.4 Democratization and Legislation for Rural Governance
13 The Rights Distribution System for Urban Residents
13.1 Urbanization and Grouping of Urban Population by Household Registration Status
13.2 Rights Under a Dual Structure: Household Registration in Urbanized Areas
13.3 Identity Groups and Authoritarian Governance
13.4 From Identity to Contract, and the Granting of Civil Rights
13.5 Urbanization and the Entitlements
14 Social Organizations in Historical and Social Contexts
14.1 Civil Social Organizations or Governmental NonGovernmental Organizations?
14.2 Social Organizations in Historical Context
14.3 The Changing Import of Traditional Forms of Social Organization in Modern China
14.4 Mirroring of Social Organizations in Contemporary China
14.5 Definition of Social Organizations in Contemporary China
15 Documentary Governance: How Authority Is Exercised and Its Significance for Order and Rules
15.1 Documentary Governance: A Form of Governance Between Democracy and Autocracy
15.2 Origin of Formalized Rules and Form of Authority
15.3 Documentary Governance and Public Social Relationships
15.4 Documentary Governance and Law-Based Governance: Authority, Rules and Others
16 Co-governance by Officials and the People
16.1 Official Governance or Self-Governance: Different Narratives
16.2 Interlocking Power System: A Hybrid Governance System
16.3 Construction of Social Power and the Changing Nature of Public Social Relationships
17 Restructuring Order: Forty Years of Grassroots Governance Reform in China
17.1 Structural Changes: Public Social Relationships
17.2 Changes in the Grassroots Governance System
17.3 Reform and Transformation of Grassroots Governance
References
