Rightful resistance in rural China / Kevin J. O'Brien, Lianjiang Li.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

O'Brien, Kevin J., 1957- author.

Li, Lianjiang, author.

Series:

Cambridge studies in contentious politics.

Cambridge studies in contentious politics

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Peasants--Political activity--China.

Peasants.

China--Rural conditions.

China.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xvii, 179 pages) : digital, PDF file(s).

Place of Publication:

Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2006.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

How can the poor and weak 'work' a political system to their advantage? Drawing mainly on interviews and surveys in rural China, Kevin O'Brien and Lianjiang Li show that popular action often hinges on locating and exploiting divisions within the state. Otherwise powerless people use the rhetoric and commitments of the central government to try to fight misconduct by local officials, open up clogged channels of participation, and push back the frontiers of the permissible. This 'rightful resistance' has far-reaching implications for our understanding of contentious politics. As O'Brien and Li explore the origins, dynamics, and consequences of rightful resistance, they highlight similarities between collective action in places as varied as China, the former East Germany, and the United States, while suggesting how Chinese experiences speak to issues such as opportunities to protest, claims radicalization, tactical innovation, and the outcomes of contention.

Contents:

Rightful resistance

Opportunities and perceptions

Boundary-spanning claims

Tactical escalation

Outcomes

Implications for China.

Notes:

Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 08 Oct 2015).

Includes bibliographical references (p. 143-168) and index.

ISBN:

1-107-15649-1

1-280-45822-4

0-511-79108-9

0-511-19168-5

0-511-16031-3

0-511-16161-1

0-511-31255-5

0-511-16088-7

OCLC:

252518650