Collective resistance in China : why popular protests succeed or fail / Yongshun Cai.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Cai, Yongshun.

Series:

Studies of the Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center.

Studies of the Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Social movements--China.

Social movements.

Protest movements--China.

Protest movements.

Political participation--China.

Political participation.

China--Politics and government--1976-2002.

China.

China--Politics and government--2002-.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (302 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Stanford, CA : Stanford University Press, c2010.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Although academics have paid much attention to contentious politics in China and elsewhere, research on the outcomes of social protests, both direct and indirect, in non-democracies is still limited. In this new work, Yongshun Cai combines original fieldwork with secondary sources to examine how social protest has become a viable method of resistance in China and, more importantly, why some collective actions succeed while others fail. Cai looks at the collective resistance of a range of social groups—peasants to workers to homeowners—and explores the outcomes of social protests in China by adopting an analytical framework that operationalizes the forcefulness of protestor action and the cost-benefit calculations of the government. He shows that a protesting group's ability to create and exploit the divide within the state, mobilize participants, or gain extra support directly affects the outcome of its collective action. Moreover, by exploring the government's response to social protests, the book addresses the resilience of the Chinese political system and its implications for social and political developments in China.

Contents:

Front matter

Contents

Figures and Tables

Acknowledgments

1. Introduction

2. Social Conflicts and Collective Resistance in China

3. Obstacles to Successful Resistance in China

4. Issue Linkage and Effective Resistance

5. Social Networks and Effective Resistance

6. The Power of Disruptive Collective Action

7. The Limits of Disruptive Tactics: The Use of Violence

8. Popular Resistance and Policy Adjustment

9. Conclusion

Appendixes

Notes

Bibliography

Index

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9780804773737

0804773734

OCLC:

638861376