MONOGRAPHIC STUDY

Commemorating Professor Zheng Hangsheng1

“Theoretical Selfconsciousness” and the Development of the Social Operation SchoolHong Dayong & Huang Jialiang2

Abstract：This paper outlines the theoretical structure of the social operation school at three levels——ontology, epistemology and the value theory.It analyzes the major dimentions of “theoretical selfconciousness” in the theoretical construction of the social operation school.This school of thought developes through a deep introspection of three basic relationships: China and the West, the ancient and the modern, theory and reality.The social operation school is an important achievement of the localization of Chinese sociology, and has become a key reference for the innovation of sociology with Chinese characteristics.

Transcending the Duality of the Indiviudal and Society: Interpreting the theory of social mutual constructionXie Lizhong13

Abstract：The theory of social mutual construction, advocated by Professor Zheng Hangsheng and his colleagues, interprets the relationship between the individual and society as a relationship of “mutual construction and covariation”.It aims to understand and interpret the various phenomena of the modern society through such relations of “mutual construction and covariation”, transcending the duality of the individual and society.It is of important theoretical significance for sociology in China and beyond.

Perspective of the Social Operation Theory and the Localization of Sociology in ChinaLi Qiang & Zhang Ying24

Abstract：The Chinese society has experienced many new changes since Professor Zheng Hangsheng proposed the social operation theory in the mid1980s.This paper analyzes these new changes from the perspective of the social operation theory, examining the huge impact of the government, market, and society on Chinas social operation.Analysis focuses on five major characterisitcs of the Chinese society: the domination of the government, the stress on collective interests, the importance of social network, the significance of status and etiquette, and familial ethics, which are key to the promotion of the localization of sociology in China.

PAPER

Path, Space and Limitation of Rural Land System Reform in China: From the perspective of the mutual construction of actions under the framework of “empowerment and restriction of rights”Wu Yi & Chen Qi36

Abstract：This paper analyzes the relationship among the central government, local authorities and the peasants in Chinas rural land system reform from the perspective of mutual construction of actions under the framework of “empowerment and restriction of rights”.Such relationship is formed in the reform process of land management, administration and expropriation system.These reforms show dual characteristics of empowering and restricting rights, and contain a misplacement of the three concerned parties demand for policies.The central government encourages the peasants through constant reinforcement of their land contract rights, while maintainig restriction by sticking with the collective ownership of the rural land.At the same time, the central government motivates local authorities through empowerment and concessions, while trying to contrain their desire for profit.As for the peasants, they actively make use of the empowerment policy to expand their interests.At the same time, the peasants try to maintain the system of equal division of land by drawing support from the principles of restricting rights.Finally, by taking advantage of the empowerment policy and restricting the rights of peasants, local authorities seek commercial benefits of the land, and deprive the rights of the peasants.As a result, contradictions of needs for empowerment and restriction of rights arise among the three parties.Such complicated mutual construction of actions become an important mechanism through which the path, space and limitation of the reform are formed.

Conceptualizing Public Disorder: State and the Emergence and Evolution of “Mass Incident” in ChinaFeng Shizheng63

Abstract：The past twenty years witnessed the term “mass incident” (quntixing shijian) emerging and evolving into a core concept in the states agenda of maintaining political order in China.This paper explores the sociohistorical dynamics that gave birth to the concept of “mass incident”.“Mass incident” as an objective phenomenon has long existed.It was once referred to as “insurgency” (naoshi) by the state, until the term “mass incident” was coined in 1994.At first, “mass incident” was a concept used by the police to describe their task of daily operation.Later it developed into a political concept adopted by highlevel officials.The process of conceptualization is the result of the coevolution of societal collective action and the states responses.On the one hand, the nature, forms and participants of collective action changed in the past forty years.On the other hand, the state reformed its ideology, organizational structure and acting strategy.Under such an interplay of the state and society, the term “mass incident” emerged and evolved.

Multichannel Strong Intervention, Frames and Protest Outcome: Fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis of 40 demolition cases in ChinaHuang Ronggui, Zheng Wen & Gui Yong90

Abstract：Based on the characteristics of Chinas political system, this study proposes an exploratory analytical framework to explain the success of protests.It contends that frames and “objective” political opportunities, which include not only direct intervention from the central government but also supportive media coverage by statesponsored national media and favorable institutional framework, can better explain successful protests.This study systematically compares 40 demolition cases which occurred in the period of 2003-2012, using the method of fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis.The findings show that multichannel strong intervention—the copresence of direct central intervention and supportive coverage by statesponsored mediais a sufficient path to successful protests, whilst the occurrence of multichannel strong intervention depends on a favorable institutional environment and the deployment of multiple frames.In addition, this study sheds light on the dynamics of successful protests by scrutinizing the cases.In all, this research not only enriches the literature on protest outcome, but also extends the theories of political opportunities and framing.

Resource Abundance, Rent Dependence and Public Goods Provision: Evidence from Shanxis countylevel governmentsZhuang Yuyi & Zhang Guang115

Abstract：This paper investigates how natural resource endowments affect local governments public goods provision in China.The rentier effect of natural resource, according to fiscal sociology, will lead to the local governments having more state autonomy while responding slowly to the needs of the society, thus resulting in poor governance.Moreover, due to political myopia, resourceabundant local governments tend to neglect human resource accumulation and the health of the ecosystem.Shanxis countylevel governments are excellent samples to test these theories.Statistical results show that resourceabundant local governments spend significantly less on social expenditures, including education, environmental protection, social security and medical care.Meanwhile, resource abundance is positively associated with the local governments selfserving administrative expenditure.This study sheds light on the causal mechanism of Chinas “resource curse”.To curb this problem, measures should be taken to streamline the fiscal system of local governments with abundant resource endowments.

Governmentcorporate Relations, TwoWay Rent Seeking and the FDI Miracle in ChinaKeng Shu & Chen Wei141

Abstract：How does China create its FDI miracle? The authors find that a large amount of FDI was attracted by preferential policies offered by local governments.Why are local governments so eager to offer these deals? This has to do with the rent seeking that runs in both ways between local governments and overseas enterprises.It is especially the reversed rentseeking, during which the local governments seek rents from overseas enterprises, that contributes most to attracting FDI to China.The reversed rentseeking not only constrains the rampancy of rent seeking, but also pushes the governments to offer preferential policies.This is how the FDI miracle in China is created.This paper also illustrates the incentives, bargaining processes, and the consequences of the governmentcorporate interaction over FDI.It proposes a microlevel institutional analysis of how China blends into the world economy.

Normalization of the Social Life: Analysis of the “familization” at the historical turn (from the late 1970s to early 1980s)
Chen Yingfang164

Abstract：Since the 1980s, experiences such as “solving political and social issues by economic means” and “families are to be responsible for individuals” have been considered effective in maintaining the stability of the Chinese society.This articles aims to explore the social turn that occurred between the late 1970s and early 1980s from the perspective of historical sociology.Using the historical case of the educated youth returning to the city from Yunnan, the paper argues that the social turn occurred when people suddenly reached a common aspiration to change their lives, during the course of which shared moral resources were widely mobilized.By analyzing the familyorientated policies enacted by the government, this articles explains the existence of an interactive “familization” process, which reveals the important mechanisms that promote social changes, and at the same time unveil important issues worth reflecting upon.

Does the Number of Children Matter to the Happiness of Their Parents？Shi Zhilei189

Abstract：The aging population brings unprecedented challenges to the care provision for the elderly in rural China.This paper studies how fertility decisions affect the parents quality of life when they enter into the later stage of life, with a specific focus on the gender differences of the children.This study finds out that the educational level of children has a positive effect on improving their elderly parents quality of life.Furthermore, a preferential treatment of the more talented children is more effective than simply increasing the number of children, which in fact has negative influence on the life quality of the parents.Overall, the improvement of the daughters education level is more effective in improving the parents quality of life.However, the scales of the effect are different at different stages.In the early and middle stage of the old age, the health and economic condition of the elderly parents improve as the length of the daughters education increases.The daughter tends to provide more care to the parents than the son.Yet, in the later stage, the educational level of the son plays a more significant role in the life quality of the rural elderly.

Does the “Seven Year Itch” Exist? A Study of the Divorce Pattern and Its Change in ChinaXu Qi, Qiu Zeqi & Li Jianxin216

Abstract：Based on data from the 2010 China Family Panel Study (CFPS) baseline survey, this paper studies the divorce pattern in China and its change by Comparing four cohorts.We find a “reverseU” pattern in the divorce risk of Chinese couples and the peak is arriving earlier in the marriage.The “reverseU” divorce pattern can be explained by family life cycle theory, natural evolvement theory, and population heterogeneity theory.Family life cycle theory and natural evolvement theory are not supported by the data, while population heterogeneity theory fits the data well.Splitpopulation model shows that the divorce risk for divorced couple increases lineally with the duration of marriage.However, the curve goes down in the end since the majority of the population does not divorce.By comparing the four cohorts, we find that the proportion of divorced couples has been increasing over the time and the slope of the risk function for divorced couple has been increasing at a high speed.