This book addresses the mystery and diversity of urbanization in China, especially with regard to urban villages. The “village in the city” is a unique social phenomenon in the process of Chinese urbanization. A local village society composed of deep-rooted social networks linked by blood, geography, folk beliefs, and folk customs is the outcome of a complex social process, which is accompanied by changes in property rights, restructuring of social networks, and conflicting benefits and values. The end of the village is the epitome of social transformation, and for China as a whole, this change may take a very long time to complete. This book includes various examples of and stories on urban villages, offering readers a wealth of insights into the phenomenon and its significance.
Author(s): Peilin Li
Publisher: Springer Singapore
Year: 2021
Language: English
Pages: 320
City: Singapore
Foreword
The End of the Village: The Urban Villages’ Great Transformations Over the Last Decade
The Difficulties in the End of the Village: The Redevelopment of Urban Villages Over the Past Decade
The Survival Logic of Urban Villages: Their Unique Functions and Vitality
The Progressive Redevelopment and Social Governance of Urban Villages
About This Book
Contents
Author and Translator
About the Author
About the Translator
1 Examining the “Urban Village”: My Methodology in Studying “The End of Villages”
The “Urban Villages” in the Pearl River Delta
My Methodology in Studying “The End of the Village”
References
2 The Worship of Land and Enterprising Spirit
References
3 A Village Without Arable Land and Agriculture
Reference
4 The Village Boundaries and Life Radius
References
5 From “Village Unit System” to “Village Corporate System”
References
6 The Village-Turned Enterprise and Internal Market
References
7 Rental Housing Market and Peasants’ Rationality
References
8 Social Embeddedness and Incomplete Property Rights
References
9 Informal Institutions and Village Social Networks
References
10 The Exchange of “Renqing” and Private Lending in Rural Areas
References
11 The Replicative Cycle, Replacement and Succession of Village Power
References
12 The Social Stratification Structures in the Urban Villages: The Established and the Generated
References
13 The Underground Economy of Urban Villages
References
14 Conflict and Integration During the End of the Village: Relocation of Ancestral Tombs and Change of Residences
Appendix The Stories of Yangcheng Village
The Indigenous Residents of Yangcheng Village
Great Changes in My Hometown
Revisiting Yangcheng Village
Owner of a General Store
Mr. Zhou: A Taxi Driver Who Decried the Urban Renewal Project
A Male Villager Who Was Unsatisfied with Village Leadership and Nostalgic for the Traditional Village Life
An Engineering Worker Who is Keen on Buying Lottery Tickets
A 56-Year-Old Female Villager
A Villager Who Considers Her Household Income to Be Below Average Among the Indigenous Villagers
A 43-Year-Old Villager Who Attaches Great Importance to His Children’s Education
Ms. Huang: A 54-Year-Old Retiree
Mrs. Lin: A 52-Year-Old Housewife
Mr. Yang, A 37-Year-Old Villager Who Lives Off Housing Rent
Mr. Li, A 36-Year-Old Truck Driver
Mr. Chen, The Former Village Head
Mr. Luo, An Environmental Health Supervisor
Ms. Pan: A 53-Year-Old Stall-Holder in the Local Farmers’ Market
Mr. Li: A Low-Ranking Member of the Village Committee
Ms. Chen: A 56-Year-Old Retiree
Ms. Zhong: A Care Assistant at the Village-Based Nursing Home
Mr. Pan: A Villager Who Lives by Renting Out Houses
The Deep-Rooted Preference for a Son Among the Urban Villagers
An Urban Village Haunted by Mahjong Gambling
Offensives Against Drug Abuse and Traffic
Small Business Owners in Yangcheng Village
Ms. Wen, Owner of a Photography Studio
Female Shopkeeper of a Vegetable Stall
Mr. Zhao, Owner of a Tea Shop
Mr. Huang, Owner of a Village-Based Restaurant
Female Owner of a Hair Salon
Ms. Xiao, Keeper of a Roasted Nuts Store
Xiao Sen, Owner of a Hair Salon
Mr. Wang, Boss of a Beauty Parlor
Mr. Chen, Owner of a Grocery Store
Ms. Zhou, Owner of a Hair Salon
Ms. Huang, Owner of a Flower Shop
Mr. Zhong, Owner of a Grocery Store
White-Collar Workers Housed in Yangcheng Village
Mr. Luo, Finance Manager of a Guangzhou-Based Company
Mr. He, Sales Director of a Furniture Company
Mr. Zhang, Lobby Manager of a Hotel
Mr. Chen, A Computer Programmer from Hunan
Mr. Sun, A Sales Representative from Hunan
Ms. Huang, An Editorial Intern of a Guangzhou-Based Evening Newspaper
Mr. Wang, A Computer Technician from Henan
Mr. Zhao, A Part-Time Computer Instructor from Hunan
Mr. Li, An Administrator of a Middle School
Mr. Xu, Technician at an Internet Café
Ms. Li, An Accountant of a Small Company and Ms. Zhou, A Domestic Worker
Mr. Zhao, A Student at South China Normal University
The Blue-Collar Workers Housed in Yangcheng Village
Mr. Liu, an Apparel Worker from Jiangxi
Ms. Cui, A Garment Worker from Hunan
Mr. Feng, A Mover from Guangxi
Ms. Chen, A Restaurant Waitress from Sichuan
Ms. Mo, A Garment Worker from Sichuan
Xiao Jie, A Supermarket Assistant from Chongqing
A Female Hairdresser from Jiangxi
Ms. Lu, A Warehouse Keeper from Sichuan
Ms. Fang, A Supermarket Assistant from Henan
Mr. Xie, A LPG Cylinder Deliveryman from Hunan
Mr. Zheng, A Newspaper Deliveryman from Hunan
Afterword and Acknowledgements
Bibliography
