Moral Politics in a South Chinese Village

Responsibility, Reciprocity, and Resistance

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Political Science, Government, Social Policy
Cover of the book Moral Politics in a South Chinese Village by Hok Bun Ku, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Hok Bun Ku ISBN: 9781461639367
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers Publication: August 25, 2003
Imprint: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers Language: English
Author: Hok Bun Ku
ISBN: 9781461639367
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Publication: August 25, 2003
Imprint: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Language: English

Exploring sensitive issues often hidden to outsiders, this engaging study traces the transformation and economic development of a south China village during the first tumultuous decade of reform. Drawing on a wealth of intimate detail, Ku explores the new sense of risk and mood of insecurity experienced in the post-reform era in Ku Village, a typical hamlet beyond the margins of richer suburban areas or fertile farmland. Villagers' dissatisfaction revolves around three key issues: the rising cost of living, mounting agricultural expenses, and the forcible implementation of birth-control quotas. Faced with these daunting problems, villagers have developed an array of strategies. Their weapons include resisting policies they consider unreasonable by disregarding fees, evading taxes, and ignoring strict family planning regulations; challenging the rationale of official policies and the legitimacy of the local government and its officials; and reestablishing clan associations to supercede local Party authority. Using lively everyday narratives and compelling personal stories, Ku argues that rural people are not in fact powerless and passive; instead they have their own moral system that informs their everyday family lives, work, and political activities. Their code embodies concepts of fairness and justice, a concrete definition of the relationship between the state and its citizens, an understanding of the boundaries and responsibilities of each party, and a clear notion of what constitutes good and bad government and officials. On the basis of these principles, they may challenge existing policies and deny the authority of officials and the government, thereby legitimizing their acts of self-defense. Through his richly realized ethnography, Ku shows the reader a world of memorable, fully realized individuals striving to control their fate in an often arbitrary world.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Exploring sensitive issues often hidden to outsiders, this engaging study traces the transformation and economic development of a south China village during the first tumultuous decade of reform. Drawing on a wealth of intimate detail, Ku explores the new sense of risk and mood of insecurity experienced in the post-reform era in Ku Village, a typical hamlet beyond the margins of richer suburban areas or fertile farmland. Villagers' dissatisfaction revolves around three key issues: the rising cost of living, mounting agricultural expenses, and the forcible implementation of birth-control quotas. Faced with these daunting problems, villagers have developed an array of strategies. Their weapons include resisting policies they consider unreasonable by disregarding fees, evading taxes, and ignoring strict family planning regulations; challenging the rationale of official policies and the legitimacy of the local government and its officials; and reestablishing clan associations to supercede local Party authority. Using lively everyday narratives and compelling personal stories, Ku argues that rural people are not in fact powerless and passive; instead they have their own moral system that informs their everyday family lives, work, and political activities. Their code embodies concepts of fairness and justice, a concrete definition of the relationship between the state and its citizens, an understanding of the boundaries and responsibilities of each party, and a clear notion of what constitutes good and bad government and officials. On the basis of these principles, they may challenge existing policies and deny the authority of officials and the government, thereby legitimizing their acts of self-defense. Through his richly realized ethnography, Ku shows the reader a world of memorable, fully realized individuals striving to control their fate in an often arbitrary world.

More books from Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

Cover of the book Globalizing Critical Theory by Hok Bun Ku
Cover of the book Crime as Structured Action by Hok Bun Ku
Cover of the book The Triumph of Modernism by Hok Bun Ku
Cover of the book Teaching History with Newsreels and Public Service Shorts by Hok Bun Ku
Cover of the book The Founders on Citizenship and Immigration by Hok Bun Ku
Cover of the book Leading the Historical Enterprise by Hok Bun Ku
Cover of the book The U. S. Navy Pictorial History of the War of 1812 by Hok Bun Ku
Cover of the book Islam, Oil, and Geopolitics by Hok Bun Ku
Cover of the book The Archaeology of the Holocaust by Hok Bun Ku
Cover of the book Debussy's Paris by Hok Bun Ku
Cover of the book Cultural Journeys by Hok Bun Ku
Cover of the book Horrors of War by Hok Bun Ku
Cover of the book The London Stage 1940-1949 by Hok Bun Ku
Cover of the book Understanding the Role of Today's School Principal by Hok Bun Ku
Cover of the book Restless China by Hok Bun Ku
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy