Protest With Chinese Characteristics

Market expansion, state centralization, and Neo-Confucianism in Qing China -- Documenting the three waves of Mid-Qing protest -- Filial-loyal demonstrations, 1740-1759 -- Riots into rebellion, 1776-1795 -- Resistance and petitions, 1820-1839 -- Mid-Qing protests in comparative perspective -- Epilogue: The past in the present

A timely study of Hong Kong's politics and society since the 1997 handover that explores the city's long history of resistance.

The author probes the soul of China starting with the formation of the Communist Party in Shanghai in 1921. She distinguishes clearly between the legacy of Chinese tradition and the innovations of Marxism. Outlines the power struggles under Mai Zedong and Deng Xiaoping, the causes and effects of the Cultural Revolution, the nature of both dissent and its repression in China and the student protests, and the feasibility of Chinese democracy.

Unrest in China, from the dramatic events of 1989 to more recent stirrings, offers a rare opportunity to consider how popular contention unfolds in places where speech and assembly are tightly controlled. The contributors to this volume argue that ideas inspired by social movements elsewhere can help explain popular protest in China.

Featuring contributions from top scholars and emerging stars in the field, the Handbook of Protest and Resistance in China captures the complexity of protest and dissent in contemporary China, while simultaneously exploring a number of unifying themes. Examining how, when, and why individuals and groups have engaged in contentious acts, and how the targets of their complaints have responded, the volume sheds light on the stability of China’s existing political system, and its likely future trajectory.

How China's political model could prove to be a viable alternative to Western democracy Westerners tend to divide the political world into "good" democracies and “bad” authoritarian regimes. But the Chinese political model does not fit neatly in either category. Over the past three decades, China has evolved a political system that can best be described as “political meritocracy.” The China Model seeks to understand the ideals and the reality of this unique political system. How do the ideals of political meritocracy set the standard for evaluating political progress (and regress) in China? How can China avoid the disadvantages of political meritocracy? And how can political meritocracy best be combined with democracy? Daniel Bell answers these questions and more. Opening with a critique of “one person, one vote” as a way of choosing top leaders, Bell argues that Chinese-style political meritocracy can help to remedy the key flaws of electoral democracy. He discusses the advantages and pitfalls of political meritocracy, distinguishes between different ways of combining meritocracy and democracy, and argues that China has evolved a model of democratic meritocracy that is morally desirable and politically stable. Bell summarizes and evaluates the “China model”—meritocracy at the top, experimentation in the middle, and democracy at the bottom—and its implications for the rest of the world. A timely and original book that will stir up interest and debate, The China Model looks at a political system that not only has had a long history in China, but could prove to be the most important political development of the twenty-first century.

A systematic investigation into the origins and unraveling of China's economic miracle.

The leadership of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) appears to have conceded that environmental issues are an area in which people may publicly challenge governmental and commercial actions; however, the movement does not yet appear to have undergone a significant, positive change of scale. This study proposes that, as the environmental movement continues to grow in size and legitimacy, the CCP will continue to co-opt these protests, using them to maintain its political monopoly. Yet, the increased dissemination of information may slowly allow China's civil society to coalesce and reach past local barriers. This research takes a closer look at environmental protests reported over a ten-year timespan, where they occurred, the issues protested, and whether they have affected Chinese society and politics. Due to an inability to access primary sources on Chinese protests, this study covers only some of the broad, macro-level trends visible through the lens of these secondary sources. Nevertheless, it concludes that the number of reported incidents of protest is growing, and their influence is felt throughout civil society.The book takes a closer look at recent environmental protests, where they occurred, the issues protested, and if they have affected Chinese society and politics. Due to an inability to access primary sources on Chinese protests, this study uses secondary sources and Western news accounts. Unfortunately, this introduces an inherent bias to the sample. Because of these limitations, this study will only cover some of the broad, macro-level trends visible through the lens of these sources.To understand the context of environmental activism in China, Chapter II traces the history of Chinese civil society and environmental activism from Mao through the current government. Chapter II will also briefly introduce a few of the key organizations and individuals that are prominent or influential in the Chinese environmental movement. Chapter III will provide a broad overview of environmental street protest trends through qualitative analysis of the collected dataset. Chapter IV will use the qualitative data of Chapter III as a foundation before offering a high-level analysis of the Chinese environmental movement within the larger context of social movement literature. Finally, the conclusion will speculate on the effect of environmental protests on Chinese Civil Society.CHAPTER I - INTRODUCTION * A. CIVIL SOCIETY IN CHINA * B. LITERATURE REVIEW * 1. Social Movement Theory * 2. Environmental Activism and NGOs in China * C. PROBLEMS AND HYPOTHESES * D. METHODS AND OUTLINE * CHAPTER II - CHINESE CIVIL SOCIETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISLATION: 1980-2014 * A. CHINESE CIVIL SOCIETY AND THE EVOLUTION OF ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS * 1. The Years 1980-1989 * a. Civil Society * b. Environmental Regulations * 2. The Years 1990-1999 * a. Civil Society * b. Environmental Regulations * 3. The Years 2000-2014 * a. Civil Society * b. Environmental Regulations * B. ENVIRONMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS, SOCIAL MEDIA, AND CASE STUDIES * 1. Environmental Activists * a. Environmental Non-government Organizations * b. Online Activists * 2. A Case Study * C. CONCLUSION * CHAPTER III - ENVIRONMENTAL PROTEST IN CHINA: BY THE NUMBERS * A. OVERARCHING TRENDS IN CHINESE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTESTS * 1. Data Characteristics * 2. Data Trends * B. PROTESTS IN COMPARISON TO DEMOGRAPHIC AND ECONOMIC DATA * 1. Distance from Beijing (Political Control) * 2. Internal Migration * 3. Levels of Environmental Degradation * 4. Economic Explanations * C. CONCLUSION * CHAPTER IV - CHINA'S ENVIRONMENTAL PROTESTS, FOLLOWING THE PATTERN * A. SOCIAL MOVEMENT THEORY WITH CHINESE CHARACTERISTICS * B. CHINA'S GROWING ENVIRONMENTAL MOVEMENT